The Legend of Jahn - Book One: Recovery
by AvatarJahn
Summary: A new story in the Avatar Universe, it follows Jahn, who discovers he is the new Avatar after the disappearance of Avatar Korra. So soon after Harmonic Convergence, the young Earthbender must discover if the world truly needs the Avatar or if it can heal on its own. The world, however, is under threat from a new menace. A threat that is close to Jahn's heart...and past life.
1. Prologue

Prologue: A Dreadful Loss.

"I'm sorry I didn't have more time. You've been…incredible. I never thought I'd be here, surrounded by all my friends when the time came. Thank you all", Avatar Korra whispered with a smile. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she gazed into the eyes of all those that loved her. The pressure on her hand tightened as Asami fought back the tears, hand-in-hand with the woman she had grown to love.

"It's ok Korra, we're all here for you. You've been so strong, so brave. You've done what past Avatars have taken whole lifetimes to do. We are all so proud of you", Tenzin said, fighting to keep the sorrow from his voice. Leaning slightly against the wall, he silently berated the universe for what was happening.

Bolin and Mako stood further away, the two brothers supporting each other as they too fought with their emotions. It was not easy seeing their close friend so weak. The rest of the figures in the room struggled with the same dilemma; they needed to stay positive and not let their grief show. This was Korra's last moment. It needed to be happy after everything she'd been through. Chief Lin Beifong stood nearby, a tear rolling down her face for the first time in too long. Emotions had never been her strong point, as they hadn't been her mothers'. Life was just too damn unfair sometimes. It never gave the kid a break. She deserved a lot more than this after what she'd been through a few years prior.

Avatar Korra smiled at her friends. Lying here, on her deathbed, had never even been a thought until the illness had taken hold. Her very spirit had been destroyed, her desire to continue. Once the spirit illness had attacked, it had not taken long for Korra's body to simply give in. She knew she was not the first Avatar to bow out so simply; Aang had died peacefully from relative old age. Roku before him had perished whilst battling an active volcano, however. She wished it had been whilst making a difference but it was not a severe regret. Not anymore.

"Korra", whispered Asami delicately. "You've made the last two years the best ever. Ever since you stopped Kuvira and we went to the Spirit World…I just want you to know…that I…", she began, her voice breaking with emotion.

"I know, Asami. I feel the same", Korra replied weakly. "It was a tough time but….we made it. All of us."

The door to the room flung open and Korra's parents rushed inside. Tonraq and Senna rushed in and immediately fell to their knees at the side of the bed.

"Oh honey, we came as fast as we could as soon as Tenzin told us you were ill. You look…well", Senna lied with a sad smile.

Korra laughed weakly. "Yeah thanks. Need to look my best after this illness", she said sarcastically.

"I know Korra. But you'll always be beautiful to us. We love you so much honey", Senna said as she kissed Korra's forehead.

Tonraq quietly stroked his daughter's hair, simply gazing at her face with a terrible intensity. "Can't she fight this?" he turned and asked Tenzin angrily.

"By the time my mother saw to her, the illness had already done its work. She had only days", he replied quietly. The news would upset his children beyond belief. The Avatar would be reborn anew but the fiery, strong-headed girl that had uprooted their lives for so long would be gone.

"It's ok, Dad. Really. Aang had a shorter life than expected too", Korra said.

"Yes, but he didn't grow ill at only twenty-three years old! It's not fair! It's just not…", Tonraq shouted, before beginning to cry. He grabbed his daughter's hand and held it to his cheek.

The faint rays of sunlight began to creep over the horizon, lighting up the sky in hues of different colours. The nearby spirit portal remained constant, shining into the sky with a brilliant green and yellow light. Air Temple Island slowly began to wake from the long night.

"It's the sun. Look sweetie, it's the sun", Senna said gently.

The rays of light slowly crept across Korra's face, allowing a wide smile to flitter across it. The sun was indeed beautiful but the shape within it made her feel pure joy. Avatar Aang's spirit smiled as he stepped forward and held out a hand. "Hello Korra. It's time. The Spirit World awaits. You have nothing to fear any longer."

Korra's eyes wandered across the faces of all her friends and family for the final time. "Thank you. It sounds….perfect", she whispered, before sighing heavily and closing her eyes.

"Goodbye Korra. We shall be together through all of your lifetimes", a final voice whispered in her ear before she was carried away. Raava had left her, for the final time.

And far away, in the rebuilt Earth Empire city of Taku, a baby began to cry.


	2. Startling Discoveries

((As I forgot to mention in the prologue, I just want to point out that I don't own any of the Avatar Universe, I'm just a huge fan who suddenly had a desire to tell my own story relating to the universe that Bryke & Co so masterfully created! Hope you all enjoy reading this and reviews and suggestions for improvements, ideas, characters etc are always welcome!))

((Also please note that this is simply a go-with-the-flow story, so it should hopefully improve in quality as it goes. Thanks for reading!))

Startling Discoveries:

The chunk of rock flew through the air and struck the girl solidly head-on. She fell to the floor with a grunt and struggled to her feet. Coughing, she took a stance and launched a boulder back at her assailant. The boy laughed and waited for the boulder to come close. Ripping his hands apart, the rock split at the last minute and hovered either side of the teenager. Punching forward, the rocks flew back and sent the girl back to the floor.

"How are you so damn good at this?" she shouted from the dirt. An arm was offered to her, which she gratefully grabbed to help herself to her feet. "Every time, Jahn. You're a damn good Earthbender, shame you look just like a badgermole!" the girl laughed.

The young man, Jahn, winked back. "Ah Kuvu you know, I'm actually a badgermole in disguise! Anyway, I didn't think I was that bad looking! That's clearly why you keep sparring with me. Unless it's my devilish charm", he joked.

Kuvu rolled her eyes. He did have a point; Jahn was just her type. Strong, lean, tall and that jawline was to die for. Not that she'd ever admit it. His tufty brown hair was always messy and his bright blue eyes were unlike anyone else's in the city, full of life and joy. His sense of humour needed some work though. His fighting skills? Brilliant. Which pissed her off just a little; he was top in the field, even besting grown men far older and more experienced than he was. Jahn was only eighteen, whilst she herself was only sixteen, but that didn't stop him kicking everyone's butts on the field.

"Jahn, Kuvu, good job! King of the hill requires Jahn stays on so Kuvu, get your pretty butt off this field!" their instructor shouted. He was a short, heavyset man called Nilob and was a great fighter. He'd trained for a time with Chief Lin Beifong of Republic City, daughter of the greatest Earthbender ever, Toph Beifong. He didn't seem to mind reminding all the trainees of it all the time either. "If you lot trained with Chief Beifong like I have, you wouldn't all be a bunch of rubbish weaklings! Get your acts together! Saall, get out there and put Jahn on his behind!"

Jahn groaned inwardly. Saall was such a moron. Whereas he always enjoyed sparring with Kuvu, Saall played dirty and generally wasn't the nicest person ever.

"Ha, the ickle badgermole wants to play?" Saall laughed in a childish voice, pulling a face. Jahn didn't react; he'd be wiping that smirk off Saall's face any moment now.

"Begin!", Nilob shouted loudly, stamping his foot on the ground and shaking the earth.

Saall leapt forward, throwing rocks as he came. Jahn sidestepped the assault and waited for an opportunity. He knew all the best Earthbenders had patience; they listened and felt the vibrations for an opening in Saall's defence. Saall slammed his foot into the ground and kicked the huge boulder that ripped forth. It flew across the field and burst into fragments just before it struck Jahn. Parting his hands, Jahn had broken the stone with a cheeky wink.

Saall spat on the floor and rubbed his hands together. Taking a strong stance, he slowly raised his hands above his head. The ground that he stood on cracked and rose into the air precariously. Grinning slightly, with a look of utter concentration on his face, Saall punched downwards, sending himself and the earth slamming back into the ground. The resulting shockwave thundered towards Jahn, sending him flying backwards.

"Oof!" he grunted as he landed on his back. He didn't realise Saall was able to produce that much power. He'd clearly been training hard, just to beat him this one time. Clambering to his feet, he realised he'd been knocked out of the markings. Saall had beaten him.

"Yes! Finally! I knew I was better than you and now everybody knows it!" Saall shouted rudely. "Get out of the way spiderworm, you don't belong on this field!"

Jahn looked at the other young man and sighed quietly. As much as he'd love to just walk up and punch Saall, that wasn't the way things were done. Taking his place among the other defeated, he smiled briefly as Kuvu put her arm around him and gave him a quick squeeze.

"For the record", she said quietly, "I think you're the best Earthbender I've ever seen. Don't let that idiot get to you."

That evening, Jahn lay quietly as he stared up at the stars. Cities like Republic City might have all the latest technology but here, in Taku, life was simpler. Without the bright lights, the stars could shine brightly and there was nothing Jahn liked to do more than just lie and gaze on the bright lights in the sky. His house was a smaller one, his parents not so wealthy, but it was a good life. If a little boring. Jahn knew there was something else, a greater calling that would take him far away one day. There had to be. As great as life was, Taku was still a small city and whilst it was so beautiful….

So beautiful. That also summed up Kuvu rather well. Like most Earth Empire girls, she had dark, glossy hair and stunning wide green eyes which somehow fit in her slim, heart shaped face. She was a tough little thing, but so spirited. Jahn had never been in a relationship with anyone before but Kuvu…well, she was someone he was willing to try with.

"Jahn, sweetheart, where's your father? The fire's getting cold, I'm cold", a voice came from his house. The woman standing in the doorway was frail and tiny, clutching at the doorframe with thin hands. She trembled slightly as she stood looking at the young man lying in the grass.

Jahn smiled sadly. "Coming, mother. I'll look after you, don't worry", he said as he attended to his mother. An illness had weakened her beyond belief when he was very young and her wits had begun to wander considerably as he'd grown older. She was a shrivelled woman, weak and confused, and she was only forty-three. Nobody knew what had done it but it had almost killed her. Her father had cared for her for a while but constant care and attention had been too much for him. One night, Jahn had awoken when the door shut with a bang. The letter left on the table had not been read for ten years.

The fire burst into life as he attended it, making his mother smile. She was sat in the chair nearby, rubbing her hands slowly and smiling as she watched the flames dance. Jahn gazed at her face; when watching the fire, her eyes lit up with a joy he had not seen on her face for so long. As much as Jahn would have loved to see the world, he could not leave. Not now. Not like his father had done, so easily and without thought.

A knock on the door broke him from his reverie. Kuvu peered round cautiously, clearly not wanting to intrude. Jahn motioned for her to wait outside and joined her after ensuring his mother was comfortable in her chair.

"How is she? Any better?" Kuvu asked carefully as they sat on the edge of the porch.

"Not really. She keeps forgetting. She won't get better, I can tell."

"Oh. And how are you? You took a pretty heavy knock today", she noted.

"I'm fine. It didn't hurt, it just winded me."

Kuvu looked sideways at her friend. "I didn't mean the physical knock."

Jahn pulled a face. "I never said I was the best, that was Saall, he—"

"I know Jahn, I was only asking!" Kuvu cut him off before he could anger. She knew what stress he was under; caring for a parent was an enormous responsibility when you had your own dreams. What had happened to his parents was heart-breaking. Then, and now.

There was a silence for a while. They didn't need to talk; they were content just being in the presence of each other.

"Anyway, you've still got a while to go before you get to my level", Kuvu joked with a light laugh, nudging Jahn.

This gained a laugh; he chuckled and nudged her back harder so she fell from the porch and landed in the grass. Laughing even more, Jahn wiped the tear from his eye and helped her up. "Smoothly done there Kuvu. A true Earthbender would have created a support for herself", he winked.

A voice came from their left, startling them both. "Well that explains it, you're both just terrible Earthbenders then". Saall emerged from behind a house and walked over the small clearing towards them. He still wore his training gear, dirty and dusty from the day's activities.

"Look Saall, I'm not in the mood for this. Go away", Jahn waved a hand and kept his eyes down. He noticed Kuvu had stiffened slightly next to him. Was it fear…?

"I'm not here for you, ickle badgermole. I'm here for Kuvu; she agreed to go on a date with me earlier", Saall said smugly, keeping his eyes on Jahn for a reaction.

Kuvu shook her head slightly. "No I didn't, you said…you made me…", she stuttered, flushed.

Jahn raised his head. Something was wrong here. It made him uneasy and uneasiness could quickly become anger. Saall was too cocky, too flushed with knowledge that he was clearly eager to tell Jahn. Domination was his aim. It always was.

"Did you agree to that?" he quietly asked Kuvu. If affirmed, his chances with her would be totally ruined. There wasn't much else on offer in Tavu; his once chance at a happy life free of so much burden would be totally, totally lost.

"No." The word was a flutter of joy in his chest, a lessening of tension in his stomach he did not realise he had. "But he won't stop…won't leave me alone…"

Saall narrowed his eyes. "Oh shut up, that wasn't what you thought when we kissed!"

Jahn stood up quickly, making Saall step back slightly and prompting Kuvu to stand too. "You kissed her? And she didn't want you to?"

Shrugging, Saall pulled a face. "Well if she really didn't want me to then she'd have fought me off. Guess you lose again eh, ickle badgermole," he laughed at the other Earthbender.

Jahn's temper flared. Storming up to Saall, he stopped within punching distance and pointed a finger at him. "NO! That's not how it works and you know it! You leave her alone or I'll make sure you'll never earthbend again, got it?" Jahn shouted, letting the chilling threat sink in.

Saall was silent for a second before spitting on the ground. "Like you'd know. You never know what's going on, you're always too busy looking after your stupid crippled mother."

A loud gasp from Kuvu; a raging fury whirled within Jahn, filling him with power. Without thinking, without even knowing whether Earthbending would be involved, he swung for Saall with his right fist with all his strength. The punch was aggressive; more so than he'd ever been in his entire life. Earthbenders were meant to be strong, immovable, patient. This attack…he just Saall to feel the full force of his pain and torment in one punch.

Despite his fury, it was still a total shock when, instead of the punch hitting home, a jet of fire burst from his fist and struck Saall in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He landed heavily, his clothes burnt and blackened by the strike. Wheezing audibly, he struggling to sit up and stared in horror at Jahn, who stood looking at his own fists with confused amazement.

"No. No. It can't be…", Saall spluttered between coughs.

Kuvu stood behind them both, shocked. "He is. He's the Avatar."


	3. Confirming the Impossible

((Hello brilliant reader, thanks for taking the time to read this! Sorry for the length of this chapter but in visualising the scenes, it felt like an average episode of Korra so hopefully it isn't too difficult to power through. The start is always slow but events are starting to unfold and I've dropped some heavy hints as to where this is going so hope you enjoy!))

Confirming the Impossible:

A day had passed since the revelation that had changed the city and the life of one young man in particular. The news that the Avatar had been found travelled rapidly; by mid afternoon, Taku was buzzing with the gossip. Apparently, for the past two decades, it had not been common knowledge that Avatar Korra had passed. Jahn himself had only heard about his predecessor once in the last twenty years. The world was still very peaceful ever since the formation of the Earth Empire and the near-war started by the Great Uniter. King Wu had done his part in creating a fairer world for all of them, but it had been Kuvira who had truly started the ball rolling.

In the last twenty years, the spirits had truly moved back into the physical world. They filled the world from both spirit portals at the Poles and seemed intriguingly fascinated with the newer portal in Republic City. Even Taku had a few resident spirits; one of great importance was a spirit which the townsfolk called the Wise Seer. Taking the form of a transparent humanoid, it spent all its time at the peak of the nearby hill, on which an old herbalist used to reside over a hundred years ago. It had no apparent features except for faint outlines of a face and opaque eyes drawn on the back of its long, clawlike hands. It had the unnerving ability to answer questions correctly and so it was to this spirit that Jahn went.

He sat quietly outside the hut, waiting for the spirit to receive him. He'd already spent hours sat there but he knew the spirit did not liked to be rushed. Besides, getting away from the chattering townsfolk would be a blessing after the reaction Taku had shown.

A rustling alerted him to the spirit's approach. Pushing the weak wooden door aside, it stood in the doorway, barely visible other than a faint blue shadow. "What would you have of me?" it asked. Its voice was strangely gender neutral; nobody thought it polite to ask when it had arrived and had not gathered the courage since. Spirits were complex creatures.

Jahn did not move from where he sat. "I'm the Avatar", he said. The words felt strange in his mouth.

A pause. "I am aware."

"You knew?" Jahn asked incredulously.

"I know most things, human. You all call me the Wise Seer, a name I have clearly earned."

Jahn finally moved. Stretching his legs, he stood up and faced the spirit. "Then why did nobody tell me until now? The world needs the Avatar."

The spirit made a flippant motion with one translucent hand. "You are incorrect. The world is at peace. I have kept watch over your world on behalf of one who I owe a debt to. If you had been needed before now, you would have been told. Avatar Korra changed the world drastically, yet upon her death she had created an era of peace, the likes of which Avatars before her failed to do. So, Avatar, you are not needed. And you may not even be wanted by some."

Jahn's forehead creased in doubt. As he opened his mouth to speak once more, a light to his right distracted him. There was a flicker of blue light and after a second, a person appeared from thin air. She was tall, with long dark hair and she glowed an iridescent blue, signifying her presence as a spirit. Her airbender tattoos gave away her identity to the Wise Seer, who bowed its head slightly in her direction.

The woman bowed back as the Wise Seer retreated back into the dark of the hut. Turning to Jahn, she studied him briefly. "You're Jahn, right? My name is Jinora," said the woman, appraising him with a knowing smile. There was great wisdom in her eyes, mixed with sadness. "We've heard about you from the stories going round but we didn't know of your existence before now. We need you to come to Republic City to meet with me and some other masters who will be able to assist you in your training. If you need my help, simply find me in the spirit world. I'll see you in the city, Avatar." With that, the woman flickered and vanished.

Puzzled beyond belief, Jahn began back down the hill. "Republic City..." he mumbled to himself. It was so far away. It would take a while and it was always dangerous travelling alone. There was one more reason he could not possibly go. Not now.

Kuvu was waiting for him at the base of the hill. "Saraa has been asking for you", she said, mentioning his mother. "How did it go with the Wise Seer? Did it give you any spiritual advice?" she asked with a cautious smile.

"Not as such. It knew about my identity though. There's something else too", he said, before telling her about the woman Jinora and what she had to say.

There was silence for a while as they walked through the city towards Jahn's house. People had begun to bow to him as he walked past, a practice that annoyed him extremely. There was no way he could live here like he'd planned anymore. His whole life was no longer his own. So far, the only positive had been that Saall had been considerably frightened by Jahn's display of firebending and had almost run away at every opportunity they met. He'd also not spoken to Kuvu since, having received the threat loud and clear.

"So you're leaving Taku then," Kuvu said at last, breaking him from his thoughts. "It's awesome that you'll learn all the styles of bending. You're already a master earthbender so you've got a good start," she said with a smile. "I'll miss you though. And your mother will…"

Coughing loudly, Jahn skipped ahead. "Anyway I was thinking, maybe you and I should go visit the river tonight? Just the two of us…" he said before realising what he'd said. He'd finally asked Kuvu out on a date and it could not have been at a worse time. Idiot. Absolute idiot.

"Oh. Yes, ok, that sounds lovely."

"Really?" he blurted out in reply.

Kuvu laughed lightly. "I'd love to. Meet you around seven? I'll bring a picnic," she said, brushing her dark green dress with a spare hand.

Jahn nodded. Bidding her farewell, he turned and made his way home. "That went surprisingly well," he chuckled to himself, hopeful about the future again. He'd even have time for a nap beforehand if he managed to get all his chores done. Maybe the day wasn't so totally ruined after all.

His mother was fast asleep when he returned home. The young Avatar was thankful for it; he did not want to deal with another outburst today. She was so ill and he did not know how to heal her. Nobody did. His only hope was that she would find some peace in her dreams and he planned to do the same as he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes.

"You haven't left yet. Too much time has already been spent, you need to start training." It was the spirit woman again. Jinora.

Jahn opened his eyes. Sitting in the midst of a grassy field, he was surrounded by spirits of all shapes and sizes, all gazing at him in awe. Jinora sat opposite, still blue and transparent. "Where are we? Am I dreaming?" he asked in confusion.

The airbender shook her head. "No Jahn. Welcome to the spirit world."

Jahn stared. "How do I get back?" he asked, uncaring about the spirits around him. All he wanted was to get back to the physical world and see Kuvu.

"Just meditate and you will return. But you haven't answered my question Jahn. Why haven't you set off yet? My father is eager to meet you".

The truth had to come out eventually. May as well be now. "I don't want to go. I can't. I have to look after my mother and there's my friend…she's important to me…" he said somewhat quietly. He kept his eyes down, worried as to how she'd reply for some reason.

"I know how you must feel about this girl; I felt the same about Kai then and now. But I'm sorry Jahn, staying is just not possible. We can get care for your mother if necessary but you need to come to Republic City", Jinora insisted.

"No", Jahn said stubbornly. "You can't make me either, you're just a spirit projection", he taunted.

Jinora sighed. "Typical Earthbender. You're right though, I can't force you via my astral projection. But the Order of the White Lotus has a member stationed in every town. A Grand Master was on his way to Taku the moment we received word of your identity. He might already be there."

Eyes widening, Jahn recoiled. Scrunching his eyes shut, he tried to clear his mind but his thoughts were too turbulent. Focusing on Kuvu, he pictured her face, every exquisite detail…

Sitting up sharply, Jahn looked around in a panic. The sight of his mother resting comforted him, his heartbeat slowing to a more regular pace. The sun was setting already, prompting him to leap from his bed and dress in a hurried manner. The trip to the spirit world was already fading from his mind as he considered the date that was yet to come.

They sat, both of them, later that evening with their feet in the water. The picnic had been delightful and Kuvu's company even more so. The river was slow and the miniature elephant koi swam downstream in a lazy manner. The night sky twinkled with the light of a thousand stars or more and Jahn felt relaxed for the first time in a long time, even before his great secret had been revealed.

"Kuvu, I've wanted to tell you for a while. I-I love you. Like, not just as a friend, but that weird kind of love when I can't stop thinking about you and want to be with you but I'm happy kicking your butt on the training field because it's fun and you—" he said, covering his rare display of emotion by rambling onwards.

A light kiss, the briefest of sweet sensation. Her lips brushed his tentatively before retreating. Jahn held his breath in shock, his brain in complete meltdown. She liked him too. She kissed him. She made the move. Do it back. Seriously, do it. Work body, work!

As he leant forward, a voice sounded from behind them. "Avatar Jahn! I hate to disturb you and your-ah, companion, but the lady Jinora sent us to confirm your identity." The owner of the voice was a tall gentleman with messy black hair wearing dark blue robes fringed with a white patterned collar. "My name is Zukoh, son of Firelord Iroh and Grand Master of the Order of the White Lotus. We've come to escort you to Republic City."

Standing, Jahn pointed an angry finger at the man, who was stood with a small group of individuals wearing the same robes. "No! I told the airbender that I wasn't leaving my mother and Kuvu! I have to stay and look after them!" he shouted angrily.

Zukoh stepped forward, hands in the air peacefully. "With respect Avatar, your past lives have been friends with my father and great-grandfather both. They would not force you to do something you did not wish to do. I, however, know how stubborn the Earth Empire can be. As a result, earlier tonight, we removed your mother from Taku and we have taken her to-"

"WHAT!?" Jahn screamed, furious. Kuvu backed away in shock, her face distraught. "You….took her?" Jahn whispered, shaking with rage.

The newcomer nodded. "Yes, we had to so that you would come with us. I'm sorry Avatar, but Saraa is fine and—" he explained but was quickly cut off.

Jahn's eyes flickered suddenly before glowing with a frightful intensity. A wind picked up out of nowhere as the ground began to splinter and crack where Jahn stood. Gazing ahead without seeing, the young Avatar's continued to glow as the wind howled around him. The riverbank began to crumble as the ground around his feet bubbled and popped, lava rushing to the surface. Huge chunks of lava soaked rock began to float in the air and the river built into a huge wave that threatened to crash down on them all. A pillar of earth rose under Jahn's feet slowly, pushing him into the air, where he stood in dreadful reckoning of them all. The surrounding pool of lava only grew larger, the earth splintering where it touched. The all-consuming power of the Avatar State was unleashed for the first time in twenty years, but he could not control it.

There was a sharp sudden pain at the back of Jahn's head and the world turned dark.


	4. Overcoming Ignorance

Overcoming Ignorance:

"Avatar Jahn, are you ready to begin your training for the day?"

"Go away. If you're not going to let me out then I want to be left alone."

"Look Jahn, I have to stay and teach you. You may as well watch anyway."

"No. You can't make me. You can't fight the Avatar."

The White Lotus compound was stifling and the cell that Jahn inhabited was beginning to close in on him. He remembered nothing from the week before, only that he had spoken to an airbender in the spirit world. Apparently he had agreed to travel with the White Lotus upon their arrival in Taku and had been separated from his mother on the way there by bandits. He did not remember any of this but the Grand Master had explained it all once they had reached Republic City.

The memory was fresh in his mind. The man, Zukoh, had explained his heritage and how he had been named after his great-grandfather, who had travelled with Avatar Aang so long ago. "Apparently our family only has a few variations of royal names anymore. Ever since my great-great-grandfather started the Hundred Year War, we no longer use those royal names. Ozai, Azulon...", Zukoh had mused humorously. He was a serious man, yet young for his position; Zukoh was the youngest Grand Master ever at the age of thirty-one.

"Did you ever meet your great-grandfather?" Jahn had asked as they travelled through the city. The wonders of Republic City were great indeed but the melancholy mood he felt had persisted since waking. He worried for his mother.

Zukoh had sighed at that. "Only the once when I was very young. Lord Zuko had visited our Palace on his dragon Druk and I remember touching his scar and asking why he had no eyebrow. He laughed at that. I know my father misses him dearly. I wish I had known him better before he passed."

They had reached the compound shortly after. It looked like an ordinary tea shop on the ground floor named the Jasmine Dragon, one of a chain of popular tea shops, but hidden underneath was a large metal cavern, housing a number of metal buildings and a training area. Lights illuminated the compound from the rocky ceiling, fitted perfectly via metalbending. Despite Jahn's co-operation, they had quickly taken him and put him in a cell, causing him to react…unfavourably.

"Why am I being locked up? You can't do this!" he shouted angrily. His mother was not here as they had promised and Kuvu was far away in Taku. He had felt so lonely and angry.

One of the guards had waited patiently for him to finish raging before providing an explanation. "You're to train here and master the elements. There are masters of all of them willing to train you. Once you get used to it here, we can move you to somewhere more comfortable."

This explanation had not sat well with Jahn. For days, he had refused the training until he worked out what reason they had for effectively imprisoning him. It was only on the third day that he had finally understood.

"You can't fight the Avatar," he said cockily. They were afraid of him. He had done nothing to make them so and yet…

The woman narrowed her eyes. She was from the Fire Nation, making her blonde hair so unusual. Cut short, it looked strange and different to how most women wore their hair but seemed to make her seem tougher than usual. She also had a cut on her chin and one eye was milky white, signifying blindness. The skin around it was cracked and burned ever so slightly and she moved with a slight limp. A woman of middle age, she could not have been older than fifty. Her name was Azirai.

"Can I not? Do tell, oh great Avatar, why I can't fight you," she said scornfully. Her polite tone had changed rapidly as a result of his arrogance.

Jahn did not exactly have an answer for this question. He paused for a moment, thinking quickly. "Well, I'm the Avatar. It would be unfair."

Azirai was not amused. "Get up and get to the training field in half an hour. We'll see how I fare against you and if I win, you'll train. Now move."

There was no say in the matter. Geared up in traditional Earth Empire garb, Jahn turned to face his opponent once they were both on the field. The green helmet was slightly too big but it made him look impressive, at the very least.

The firebender wasted no time. Launching herself into the air, she punched three blasts at Jahn, who stood his ground. Taking a wide stance, he brought his arms up quickly. There was no earth shield to protect him though, as the metal floor did not move. The fireballs collided with his arms, sending him flying backwards and landing heavily on the cold floor.

Winded, Jahn rolled over and began to cough heavily. Looking around, he realised his amateur mistake. There was no earth in the compound except that which was beyond the metal supports and this was considerably too far away to bend in this fight. At a total loss, he climbed to his feet and raised his hands in embarrassed surrender. "Look-", he began to say.

Azirai rolled forwards and span, kicking fire at Jahn as she came, forcing him to dive out of the way. Crouching, she flipped forwards, bringing a line of fire smashing down from her feet. Jahn was forced to dodge once more, creating a cat and mouse game which he could not win.

"Stop! I give in!" he shouted again but the woman did not hear him. Punching with a startling ferocity, Jahn was forced into a corner. He attempted to run forwards and disable her with physical moves, but she only twisted free and kicked the back of his knee. Jahn fell to one knee and felt the heat as Azirai pushed her fist against the back of his head.

"Stop!? Stop!? You think your enemies will stop!? I shouted that at the man that took my eye but he didn't listen, he didn't care! Do you think you're something special, really? You couldn't even bend, you were helpless!" she screamed at him. Jahn was stunned as he realised she was crying from her remaining good eye. Pushing him away violently, she turned and ran from the training field, leaving him alone and in shock.

Later that day, (or was it evening? There was no time to tell underground.) Jahn had been visited in his cell by Zukoh.

When the Grand Master entered the room, Jahn had sat upright on his bed quickly. Maybe it was about time to show some respect if he wanted some answers. Zukoh took his time inspecting the room, including the door to the adjacent bathroom which squeaked beyond belief. He eventually settled in the only chair and sat watching Jahn with shrewd eyes.

"You'll have to forgive Azirai for her outburst", he said eventually, not moving a muscle. "She has suffered a lot of pain in her past and I believe your arrogance brought up some memories she wished had stayed dormant. It will not happen again, providing you co-operate."

Jahn clenched his fists. "Arrogance? I was just angry! You took me from my home, my mother and my…friend. I didn't want all of this!"

Zukoh shook his head. "No. It was arrogance. You have always been arrogant, according to my reports. Look how that turned out for you earlier. It wasn't much of a fight. We removed you from Taku so that you could receive proper instruction from masters of each bending style. Stop being such a child and just accept it."

This shocked the Earthbender somewhat. People were never usually so blunt, even in the Earth Empire. "And my imprisonment?"

"You're not imprisoned. This is for your own safety. You have power you are not yet ready to deal with", Zukoh answered. He reached up and slicked back his dark hair in a futile effort, which sprang back as messy as before.

Jahn frowned. "What power? Why do I need to be safe from myself?" he asked, totally confused.

Zukoh stood up, prompting Jahn to jump to his feet as well. Bowing, the firebender made for the door. With his hand on the handle, he looked over his shoulder. "It is not my place to explain. Meditate and it will become clear. Also, please be kind to Azirai when you see her next. She is my aunt. I'd take it as a personal favour." Opening the door, Zukoh walked through and quietly shut it behind him.

Muttering, Jahn crossed his legs and placed his fists together as the Wise Seer often had done at Taku. A wave of homesickness washed over him but he fought it down and focused on his breathing. One thought began to dominate his mind; the bed was bumpy and uncomfortable, no matter which way he leant. Taking the pose on the floor, he immediately relaxed despite the unforgiving metal underneath. Focusing on the idea of a power, he began to query the concept in his mind.

"Hello Jahn."

Opening his eyes suddenly, Jahn was startled to see a translucent blue spirit sat opposite him. The spirit was a woman, dressed in water tribe garb with a ponytail and a slight smile on her face. Despite never having seen her face before, Jahn knew who she was. The connection was undeniable.

"Hello Korra."

((It's all very new for Jahn! Total isolationism leads to a lot of issues. Meeting more of the Fire Nation Royal Family! Obviously OC, Izumi had three children and Iroh was the youngest of them all. Iroh himself had two children, the eldest of which is his Heir, just to clear up any confusion! Any characters from Korra are all twenty years older so if there are any older characters you might like to see (Tenzin, Lin etc), please comment in the reviews! Thanks for reading the latest chapter!))


	5. A Voice from the Past

((Sorry for the wait, it's increasingly difficult to find time to write new chapters! A few time-jumps in this one, speeding up training being one! Hope you enjoy!))

A Voice from the Past:

"Hello Korra."

The woman smiled. She had kind eyes and her posture was solid, showing a strength of character that Jahn hoped to one day emulate. "I believe you need my help. All the wisdom of past Avatars are open to you now that the connection has been restored with my death."

Jahn nodded, slightly starstruck. His past life was sat opposite him as though not a day had passed since she last sat in the material world. "How—how did you die?" he asked without thinking. He immediately regretted it.

"I became ill. After my battle with Kuvira, my girlfriend Asami and I decided to take a vacation to the Spirit World through the new portal in Republic City. At the time, it all seemed peaceful; Kuvira was imprisoned, the rebuilding efforts would soon begin and I finally overcame my block from the battle with Zaheer. It was the Spirit World that ultimately proved to be my destruction.

When we arrived, the spirits were all glad to see us. They understood whatever bond Asami and I shared was the same as anyone's, so they were especially nice. Even Iroh showed up and gave us some tea. Honestly, that vacation was the best…

It was when we returned to Republic City that I realised I wasn't very well. Something felt off, like even Raava was uncomfortable. It didn't stop me being the Avatar though, so I helped Tenzin, Bolin, Mako and the others to establish a spiritual perimeter around the portal and then focused on helping Raiko to create plans for the new areas of the city.

In the next two years, I faced more challenges but none as bad as what I'd already dealt with. I gradually felt worse and worse but by the time I realised something was wrong, it was too late. I made peace with my family and friends and departed."

Jahn was stunned. Korra seemed so nonchalant about her own death in a way that brought tears to his eyes. Her matter-of-fact tone was so heartbreakingly honest that he immediately felt a bond with his past life. "So what was the illness?" he asked, his voice breaking with emotion.

Korra shook her head. "I don't know. My guess is that it was spiritual in essence; it targeted me as the Avatar as we're fused with Raava. I was probably the first victim of it but there are bound to be more. Whoever is spiritually enlightened will probably suffer the most. Please, you must check on Tenzin and the new Air Nation for me. They're bound to have heard of it."

Jahn nodded slowly. "I spoke to an airbender, Jinora, in the spirit world. Is she one of the Air Nation I'm looking for?"

"Yes. She's Tenzin's daughter", Korra said with a smile. "You must find her soon. I worry that the illness passed to them when I left this world."

"I will. But first, I need your advice. I'm in a White Lotus compound but I don't remember leaving Taku. The Grand Master here said something about an Avatar Power?"

The waterbending Avatar blinked. "They didn't tell you? The Avatar State must be controlled, it seems pointless to keep the knowledge hidden from you. Aang had a hard time mastering it as a child and I guess you are too."

The two Avatars conversed for a short while as Korra explained the Avatar State and how it empowered the Avatar with all the knowledge of their past lives and gave them incredible power. It could, however, backfire if he was killed whilst using it. Keeping Jahn's emotions under check would be a priority unless he wished to hurt those around him.

"I must go now Jahn. Whilst you may talk to me at any time, long periods of time such as this are increasingly difficult. If you need advice, do not fear to ask the other Avatars. They will almost certainly help. And remember, please go to Air Temple Island as soon as you can", Korra whispered as her form broke apart into mist.

The firebending training was going surprisingly well. To begin with, it was difficult to create fire without the rage that had gripped him in his confrontation with Saall, but after some rather short-tempered tutoring from Akirai, Jahn had finally managed to click with the bending art. In their duels, Akirai still clearly outmatched him in skill but Jahn could finally hold his own, firing blasts in quick succession in a fiery, aggressive style.

"Oof!" he grunted as he hit the floor. Blasting himself to his feet, he powered along the floor, shooting fire from his feet to speed himself up. Jumping, he kicked two fireballs at his mentor and span as he descended, becoming a flaming drill. Akirai easily dodged the first blasts but was too slow to avoid Jahn himself, who collided with the Fire Nation royal. She hit the floor hard for the first time but Jahn did not waste any time celebrating. Instead, he rolled and took a stance, ready for a counter attack.

The sound of clapping distracted him. Zukoh was stood at the side of the field with a number of White Lotus members. A number of them were grumbling as they exchanged money.

"You were betting on this?" Jahn asked with a laugh. He was flushed with success; it was the first time he had even marked Akirai, let alone knocked her down. She was sat on the floor, head bowed in anger.

Zukoh walked over as Akirai climbed to her feet. Bowing slightly, she inclined her head to the Grand Master but instead of immediately storming off as she usually did when angry, she stood her ground. "Well done Jahn! You've become an extremely proficient firebender already. You have a long way to go before you master the art but to come as far as you have in two weeks is remarkable," Zukoh admitted.

Akirai nodded begrudgingly. "Yeah it wasn't bad."

Zukoh raised an eyebrow. "Really, Akirai, you could give the boy a bit of encouragement now and again. He has behaved himself after all, as you were so keen for him to do."

"Piss off Nephew, I agreed to teach the kid but he can go fawn for attention from someone else. I'm here to make sure he doesn't get his butt kicked again."

Zukoh made a tutting noise. Before he could speak, Jahn stepped forward, a hopeful expression on his face. "So if I've learned firebending to a good enough degree, can I travel to Air Temple Island now?"

"This again? No, Jahn. As I've told you twice before, you must stay here and master firebending and when the time comes, we shall contact the island and bring a master here," the Grand Master said resolutely. Not even mentioning Korra's request would sway the man.

The loneliness of the compound was the worst about it. Jahn had still not seen his mother and Kuvu was apparently not allowed to visit. The compound was increasingly becoming a prison, whether it was meant for his training or not. Even Korra wished him to break out and run a personal errand for her. The only thing the Avatar seemed to be doing lately is what other people wanted him to do, not what he wished.

Zukoh sighed as the man tripped over and spilled an armful of cabbages all over the floor. It was a wonder this compound wasn't falling apart, judging by the staff.

"My cabbages! Sorry Mr White Lotus man, I'll pick them up!" the man said as he scrambled on the floor.

The saying rang a bell in Zukoh's memory. "Aren't you related to th—?"

Nodding frantically, the man stood up quickly. "Yes Sir, Cabbage Corp is the family business! Supplying the White Lotus with fresh cabbages since time began!"

"Really. So it preceded even Raava and Vaatu then?"

"I have no idea what you mean Sir but yes indeedy, Cabbage Corp is the best around!"

Zukoh sighed again. "You don't need to try and convince me, we already hire you…" he said. Turning to a White Lotus member, he motioned for her to handle the cabbage situation. It wasn't exactly like he had time to waste on this.

The issue about Avatar Jahn puzzled him. The young man was powerful and stubborn, two traits he did not like seeing mixed together. He had been fighting them ever since he arrived and now he persisted in the idea of going to Air Temple Island. He hadn't even mastered Firebending yet. Although maybe Zukoh himself should try and show him some moves. It had been a while since he'd had an excuse to spar with anyone; instead, his time was spent organising cabbages, apparently.

"Grand Master Zukoh!" a voice shouted urgently. The guard that usually covered the evening shift of Jahn's quarters was sprinting up to him, surprise still clear on his face.

"What's the matter? Shouldn't you be at your post?" Zukoh asked, hoping it was just a trivial matter that brought the guard here.

"No Sir, not when there's no Avatar to guard! Jahn's gone, he bust himself out of the cell and made a run for it!"

The Grand Master was not at all pleased. "This Avatar is turning out to be the most bloody annoying one yet!" he said in anger. "Go to Republic City, find Avatar Jahn and bring him back!"


	6. The Wisdom of Others

The Wisdom of Others:

"Kai, did you take my glider?"

"Wha—no! Why do you automatically think it was me?"

"…oh I don't know, maybe because I saw you flying with it before, showing off for the Acolytes."

"Ah. Yeah, well Jinora, I was bored and Aana wanted to see some tricks!"

The Airbending master raised an eyebrow. "You're not exactly setting the example I wanted for our daughter. It's a good thing Ioran didn't stay here to learn or he wouldn't have learnt anything about our culture."

Kai shrugged. His hair was short, his blue arrow tattoo just visible under the tufty brown hair that had remained unruly from his childhood. His attitude hadn't changed much either; he was still the mischievous, charming man he always had been. It was just one of the reasons that Jinora loved him.

"Anyway, supper will be ready soon. Make sure you're there on time!" she said somewhat sternly.

Her husband laughed. "Yeah I'll get there, can't keep me away from your cooking! Pema taught you well!" he exclaimed, rubbing his stomach comically. Kissing his wife briefly, he walked off down the hallway, skipping slightly as he went.

Jinora rolled her eyes but smiled. She loved her family more than anything, despite the Air Nomad's being taught to detach themselves from earthly tethers. The master could never bring herself to do that. In any case, the new Air Nation was still just finding its feet twenty years on so maybe some of the older practices could be set aside for now.

As she passed a window in the Air Temple, she caught a glimpse of Kai flying past, quickly followed by their daughter Aana. Named after her grandfather, she was a delightful, high-spirited girl that had received Kai's humour and Jinora's wisdom. She was the best of both of them. Ioran, their older son, was far more serious and reminded her of her father.

"That man moves quicker than any Airbender I've seen when trying to get away from you when you're being stern", a voice observed behind her. Speaking of, her father stood behind her, watching his son-in-law and granddaughter flying. "Aana is growing up fast. You should be proud, you're doing an excellent job raising her and teaching her our ways," Tenzin said. His voice was steady but Jinora knew her father; this was as close to sheer emotion as he came, especially nowadays.

Tenzin's beard was grey and his face was more lined than ever. Despite that, the serious face that Avatar Korra had come to love and respect was still very much full of life. His pride in his children and the new Air Nation was evident. Having finally shrugged off the responsibility of being the Avatar's child, he had soared higher than ever.

"Thank you Dad," Jinora whispered as she hugged him. "I'm proud of them too."

Tenzin stroked his beard as he let go of her, showing he was deep in thought. "Have you heard from Avatar Jahn yet? He should have arrived by now, surely."

Jinora frowned. Not wanting her feelings to show, she turned her back. "No, nothing yet. He'll arrive when he arrives. If he does at all. It wouldn't be a great loss."

"Now Jinora, you don't mean that sweetheart. The new Avatar should be honoured to have you as an airbending teacher. You'll do a far better job than I did with Korra to begin with, I'm sure of it."

Jinora shrugged. "I do mean it. Seriously, why can't we just be left alone?"

Tenzin frowned and put a weary hand on his daughter's shoulder. "We help protect the world, you know that. What's going on here Jinora? You were even reluctant to speak to the Avatar when we heard of his existence."

The female airbender was silent for a moment before sighing. Turning back, she had tears in her eyes. "Because I miss Korra. I wish she could have met Ioran and Aana, I wish she was still here blowing things up, I wish she just wasn't….gone. If this new Avatar turns up, I don't know if I can teach him without feeling sad for Korra," she admitted, ashamed and feeling upset.

Tenzin observed his daughter with wise eyes. "As do I, Jinora. I miss her every day. As I miss my father and mother, and Kya most of all. But life has to move on and so does the Avatar Cycle. Trust me Jinora, it will all be fine. Take it from the world's best Airbender."

This made Jinora laugh. "Despite the fact you can barely climb some stairs anymore?" she teased, knowing her father would be stung by the comment.

"I'll have you know…" he began, before a gust of wind stopped him. Kai and Aana landed lightly outside, spinning their glider-staffs round swiftly. Rounding the bend and entering the hallway, Aana ran to her mother and embraced her with a delighted laugh. At only seven years old, she was still so young and yet showed so much promise.

"Daddy showed me a trick! He did the loop-de-loop-de-loop-de-loop…" she said, emphasising every loop with a roll of her neck until she became dizzy and almost fell over. Laughing, Jinora picked her daughter up and gave her a tight hug, distracting herself from her emotions. Her family was here around her and that was all she could ask for.

"And there I was, surrounded by spirits, when all of a sudden…"

"Yes Bumi, we know. You told us this the other day," Tenzin told his brother wearily. In his old age, Bumi had become even more irritating by telling the same stories over and over every week.

"Well I'm sure you haven't heard how it ended! There I was…" Bumi continued with a twinkle in his eye.

Tenzin sighed. "Yes yes, the platypus-bear came from nowhere and chased you into the river. You had to half swim, half fly when Bum-ju tried to lift you out. We know."

"Oh," Bumi replied, looking disheartened. His white hair and beard were wispy but his enthusiasm for life had not diminished. "Well in that case, we have some time to spare! How about coming to the market with me?" he asked his brother with a wide smile.

Tenzin pondered for a moment. He'd felt totally out of balance ever since giving up his duties to his daughters and sons; his father had continued to be the Avatar until the day he died, so Aang surely never felt this lost. "Fine. But no shenanigans. I can't be having you running off again."

"Wahoo!" Bumi crowed, before coughing heavily.

They left the Temple on Oogi and landed by the docks. The bison was more than happy to lie in the water and relax, allowing Tenzin and Bumi some time to browse the nearby market. The stalls were vast and varied; ranging from produce to furniture to spirit snacks. Bumi took great interest in the latter, although Tenzin was reluctant; Bum-ju had been gone for the last two years but Bumi did not seem to remember.

"What about these Tenzin? Air nomad windchimes! Quite well crafted too!" Bumi shouted, making the stallholder smile and nod frantically.

"I'm afraid not. We have plenty at the temple and Pema dislikes them anyway."

"Then get them for Jinora! I'm sure she'd love them and then flank to the left, let them retreat…er, what was I saying?"

Tenzin took his brother carefully by the shoulder. "It's ok Bumi, we were just heading back to Oogi. Come on now," he said delicately. Bumi's memory was fading fast and it broke Tenzin's heart to see it. At least Kya had passed away and hadn't suffered.

Making their way back towards the docks, they were stopped when a spirit flew down from a rooftop and landed in front of them. Coiled like a serpent, it had the head of a blank mask and when it spoke, it did not move even a fraction. "Airbenders. Turn left ahead. You'll find what you're looking for." As quickly as it arrived, the serpent unfurled four fluffy wings and launched itself into the air.

Tenzin frowned. Oogi was literally right ahead but the spirit had told them to head along the docks slightly. "Come on Bumi," he finally decided. "We're just going to check down here quickly in case there's anything you want."

Bumi pulled a face. His voice was far quieter than usual. "I'm tired Dad. Can't I go to bed?"

Tenzin closed his eyes, forcing the emotion deep down. He had his good and bad days. Today wasn't so great, but at least Bumi hadn't started being violent. With his airbending, it would be difficult to restrain him. Wanting desperately to just fly home on Oogi, the elderly airbending master instead supported his brother with one arm and helped him along the docks.

"Hey you!" a voice called from a stall by the edge of the water. A middle aged man with tufty hair beckoned them over and began pointing at the tattoos on Tenzin. "You're an airbender right? Know th' Avatar's kid?"

Tenzin nodded. "My father was Avatar Aang. Can I help you with anything?"

The man pushed a box of fish to one side and leant against the counter excitedly. Pointing behind him, he clearly indicated to two battered photo frames hanging up at the back. One showed Avatar Aang and the other showed Avatar Korra.

"That's my ol' man's Wall of Avatars! He gave them to me to carry on th' tradition! Hey, don't suppose you know of th' new'un?" the man asked quickly.

Tenzin shook his head. Seeing both his father and Korra was not what he needed right now, not whilst Bumi was so ill. Maybe he could revisit and see them at a later date. Wishing the fisherman well, he'd only took a few steps when another voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Excuse me? Did you say you were the Avatar's son?"

The airbender nodded. His patience was beginning to fray slightly. "Listen, whoever you are, I need to get my brother back to the Island. Forgive me but I don't have time for your trivia right now."

"Well I've been looking for you for a while now. You can't just leave."

Tenzin turned. The speaker was a young man in black clothes trimmed with green, with White Lotus printed along the trim. The clothes were rather distinctive and Tenzin's eyes widened slightly. "Who are you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"My name is Jahn and I'm the Avatar. I need to be taught airbending and I come due to a request from Avatar Korra."

There was a silence for a moment whilst neither party spoke.

"Hey there!" shouted the fisherman. "Can I get a quick picture? It'll just take a second!"


	7. Introducing Airbending

((Hey everyone, very sorry for not updating in a while but I've been extremely busy! I full intend to keep up with this fanfic so i'll just be posting less regularly from now on! Thanks for sticking with it though!))

((More character development ahead! It'll all escalate rather quickly soon, I promise...))

Introducing Airbending:

"They were keeping you locked up?" Tenzin asked incredulously. That did not seem like the White Lotus way at all, prompting the Airbending master to frown even more.

The Avatar nodded. "Well I wasn't allowed out, anyway. I started firebending but got to the point where I felt ready for Air. They wouldn't let me see an Airbending teacher yet so I broke out and made my way here. Didn't really take me long."

Tenzin nodded. "It IS easy to find. Especially after the modifications that we've made since you were last here, Avatar." The White Lotus puzzled him. He'd have to look into it later that day.

The Air Temple was a grand building, styled in traditional Airbender architecture. The surrounding smaller temples were just as impressive but somewhat smaller, all resting on their own plateaus around the existing island. Earthbending had clearly been used to expand the island but it still retained an air of mystery and wonder.

Oogi landed heavily and immediately lay down, happy to be back on the island. Along with Tenzin, he too was growing older. The group jumped off his back and made their way to the main temple; Tenzin held his brother's arm gently as they walked but Bumi seemed to be aware of his senses, as he pulled away and ran to a group of spirits, chatting to them excitedly as they swarmed over him happily.

A woman exited the temple, dressed in airbender garb and a bright blue tattoo on her forehead. She was the woman from home that had appeared as a spirit. Jahn could only feel apprehensive as he approached. Suddenly his plan of escaping the compound, finding an airbending teacher and feeling like a true Avatar did not seem so solid. Maybe he should have brought some snacks? Yeah, definitely. His stomach rumbled at the very thought.

"Jinora, sweetie, this is Jahn. I believe you've already spoken?" Tenzin said by way of an introduction, gesturing towards the Earthbender behind him.

"Yes. So you're Korra's replacement? Hope you're up to scratch," she said somewhat coldly, making Jahn frown. He immediately felt like this woman did not approve of his existence.

Bowing slightly, he looked right at Jinora as he spoke. "It's an honour to meet such a renowned Airbender such as yourself, and Avatar Aang's grandchild to boot."

Jinora gave a quick, forced smile and turned to enter the temple, her courtesies fulfilled. Despite herself, she could not greet this young man warmly. He had the same strong aura as Korra had done and the pain of her loss was still very raw even twenty years on. Her father would not approve but she did not particularly care. He could teach the Avatar if he wished. As long as he didn't push himself too far.

Jahn was perplexed. He may have spent a while locked away with little contact with people but he could still feel an icy reception when it was presented. Tenzin had been far more eager to meet him, willing to even ferry him across the water on Oogi.

"Come, Avatar. There are plenty of others here that will be eager to meet you. All the Airbenders were extremely grateful to Avatar Korra for their gifts, as it was by her doing that they all indirectly gained Airbending."

Jahn's eyes widened. "I…I didn't know that. I heard about the great Spirit Battle in Republic City and the battle between the Avatar and the Great Uniter, but I did not realise she brought back your nation. That's….incredible," he said in complete awe. How was he meant to compete with such a prodigious act like that? Korra had changed the world so much.

Tenzin turned to look at him as they walked into the Temple. "I know it seems like a lot to process. I know my father struggled with the idea of saving the world, but he also struggled with the idea of leaving behind his family. Before he was frozen in the ice, he ran away from the Monks as he was scared they would send him away. Either way, he left. You cannot fight your destiny. A time will come, Jahn, where you must find out what it means to be the Avatar, but I promise you that we will help you all the way," he said wisely, placing an elderly hand on Jahn's shoulder.

"Thank you," Jahn could only whisper.

* * *

><p>The key to Airbending was to be light on your feet and to evade any attacks thrown at you. Jahn was quickly discovering that this was really not as easy as it seemed.<p>

"BE THE LEAF!" Aana shouted loudly.

"It's not that easy Aana!" Jahn yelled back comically, frustrated with the exercise. The bloody panels kept spinning around and Jahn kept being smacked around by them.

"Get your feet moving, you're not a statue!" Kai pointed out.

"I…know!" Jahn replied, having been thrown out onto his back. Climbing to his feet, he took a stance and prepared to jump into the exercise once more.

A gust of wind blew dust into his eyes, making him look around in anger. He was already irritated and his temper was beginning to flare. Jinora had landed a metre away, so softly that he had not even heard or felt her presence. She looked somewhat disappointed with him and her eyes showed a sadness that made Jahn feel uncomfortable.

"You're not moving your feet. My husband just said you need to move more and you didn't listen."

Jahn gritted his teeth. "I'm an Earthbender. Everything I've been taught is to have a solid stance and face the attacks head-on. This is just…impossible."

Jinora narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you're an Earthbender. And now you're also a Firebender. Soon, you will be an Airbender as well. The Avatar must learn all the styles to fully understand them. Just as you must live with people to fully understand them as well."

"So what should I do? I can't just act like a dancer out of nowhere."

"Be the leaf!"

Jinora turned her head. "Aana, honey, shush now. You're a much better Airbender than Jahn already, you're already the prettiest leaf around," she said, making her daughter giggle.

"If she's so great then maybe she should teach me!" Jahn said, feeling patronised.

Jinora was silent for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Listen to Aana and see if that helps." Jumping into the air, she extended her glider suit and flew off towards the main temple.

"Oh." Jahn stood there, feeling somewhat silly. Kai had raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, nodding towards his daughter with a smile on his face.

The little Airbender stood with a cocky stance, arms on hips and chin raised towards the sun. "Avatar, I'm your new teacher! You can call me Miss Aana!" she said, trying to hold in a giggle. "First lesson today is how to move your feet!" she said, still stifling the laugh. The young girl clearly loved the opportunity to boss the Avatar around; a trait that Jahn guessed had come from both her mother and her father.

Deciding to humour the girl, he bowed. "Ok then Master, what do I do first?" he asked. The girl would surely be able to teach him nothing but if he gained a more basic understanding of the fundamentals of Airbending then it couldn't hurt.

"Move your feet! Dodge my attacks!" she said, jumping high into the air and slicing down, firing a blast of air. Surprised, Jahn failed to react and braced himself but the air slice was so powerful that he felt his legs give way and he slammed into the ground. Kai, who was watched from outside the sparring arena, began to laugh with half actual humour and half pride. His daughter was his pride and joy and was certainly the most powerful new Airbender born since Jinora herself. Maybe he should have told the Avatar what he was getting into? Nah.

"Quick, dodge!" Aana shouted in a squeaky voice. Firing two more gusts of air, she flipped herself forward and kicked another blast at Jahn, who attempted to move out of the way but was hit by the final one, sending him flying back. More attempts to move out of the way of Aana's attacks were futile, leading the Avatar to become even more irritated. Two jets of fire erupted from his fists and screamed towards Aana, who easily cartwheeled aside. Punching fire at the Airbender, Jahn attempted to keep up with her as she jumped around the arena. Finally tiring, he bent over slightly, panting heavily. Something clipped his feet, making him fall on his back with an 'oof'. Aana stood over him grinning widely.

"That's how you Airbend! Nice try, though you're just not quite Aana material!" she said with a laugh. "Woo!"

Jahn groaned.

* * *

><p>Looking across at the city, Jahn leant against the fence and sighed. The night was beautiful and the city sparkled with light, bathed in the green-yellow glow of the spirit portal. He'd only been here a day and yet felt ready to just give it in. He'd been so focused on current events that he'd even totally forgotten his mother and Kuvu back home. How could he do that? How could he be that selfish!?<p>

A tear rolled down his cheek, quickly followed by more. For how long he stood there, crying quietly at the night, he could not say. It was only when a soft noise alerted him to someone approaching that he quickly wiped his eyes and sniffed loudly. Turning, he noticed Jinora stood next to him, holding hands with her daughter. They did not exchange a word, but instead all three of them stood and looked out at Republic City.

"I'm sorry, Jahn," Jinora said, breaking the silence. "I miss her." The Airbender then turned and left before he could say a word.

Aana stood by his side, gazing at the spirit portal beam in the sky. "You know, she's not mad at you. She loved Korra a lot and she's sad because she's gone now."

Jahn gazed down at the girl through teary eyes. "I know. I…it's just not fair. I didn't want to be the Avatar. I just wanted to look after my mother. I don't even know where she is! I'm just being treated like this because of what I am, not who I am."

Aana nodded. "Then maybe you're not showing people who you are?" she suggested.

The Avatar frowned and was about to retort before he considered the statement more. Everyone had met the Avatar, but nobody had met Jahn. They saw just another face; a face that used to be Korra's, a person they loved fully and without thought or consequence. He was more than that, so maybe it was time to show them.

"Thank you, Aana. You're pretty wise for a kid," he said quietly.

"Yeah."

They stood there in silence for a while, adult and child, equals regardless of age.

Eventually, Jahn had to ask. "Do you think you could teach me about Korra? I'd like to know more about her."

The girl smiled. "Of course. Although you could ask her too! I'm sure she'd tell you aaaaaaanything", she said, emphasising the 'anything' with a sweeping gesture.

Jahn chuckled. "Well, some things are best left private! Anyway, it was Korra that told me to come here anyway…" he mused.

Aana looked at him sharply. "You already talked to Korra? I must tell great-grandfather! He'll want to know who the next Avatar after him will be!" she said loudly, running away inside quickly.

Jahn was perplexed. 'Next Avatar'? To his knowledge, her great-grandfather had been Avatar Aang. But he'd been dead a very long time now. Her memory was clearly slightly muddled.

A dreadful suspicion took hold of him, one he wished was not true. If that was a symptom, he'd seen it daily for the last ten years. Was that just a simple mistake, or something far, far worse? 

* * *

><p>((Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! Please feel free to review any pros or cons and suggestions for anything! Feedback is always most welcome!))<p> 


	8. Rise of the Red Lotus

((Hey all, just a quick heads-up, the end of this chapter links back to the start of the chapter. If that makes sense. It's quite a long one but one of my favourite to write so enjoy!))

Rise of the Red Lotus:

"We can't stop them! Retreat!" the man yelled, waving his arms wildly.

Grand Master Zukoh punched at a nearby attacker, blasting him back with a fireball. A whip of water flicked from the side but he did not have time to move before it wrapped round his leg and pulled him along the floor. Growling angrily, he swiped with his right hand, creating a line of fire that ripped through the water whip. Jumping to his feet, he noticing his attacker and fired a continuous stream of fire, prompting the assailant to flee.

"Get the Avatar out of here and to safety! We can hold them off! We ha-" he shouted before he was cut off. A huge chunk of earth had flown through the air and smashed into his right side. When the dust had cleared, Zukoh was motionless on the ground. The remaining White Lotus members stood defiant and attempted to clear a path to the injured Grand Master.

"Quickly, do as he says!" Tenzin yelled as he knocked down a woman with a gust of air.

"There's not enough time! We don't have anywhere to go!" Jinora shouted back above the noise of the carnage all around.

Tenzin pointed. "Into the portal! Now!" he barked urgently.

The winds were phenomenal and the earth literally shook under their feet. The spirit portal was nearby but a number of the enemy stood between them and escape. It was impossible.

"Dad, we can't get him there!" Jinora screamed, feeling helpless.

The look on Tenzin's face was resolute. "Attack! He'll follow! I'll hold the others off! I love you Jinora!" he shouted before leaping into the air. Landing on a sphere of air, he used the air-scooter to knock down several adversaries and cleared a rather haphazard path to the portal, fighting all the while.

Jinora, tears now streaming from her eyes, turned and began to circle her hands in a rotated manner. The air in front of her began to twist and form into a vortex, which steadily moved towards Jahn, who floated high above them all, raining all the elements down on them all in furious vengeance. Colliding with the Avatar, the vortex knocked him sideways, prompting the rage-filled glowing eyes to turn on her.

"We've got his attention, let's go!" Kai shouted to Jinora, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. Running quickly, they had to dodge numerous attacks from the enraged Avatar. Unknowing of who his enemies were, his wrath was unleashed on them all. Suddenly, the earth around Kai's ankle shot up and trapped him, making him fall into the grass.

"No, no!" Jinora sobbed, hammering at the ground which had trapped her husband's foot.

"Go Jinora! You've got to get him out of here! GO!" Kai yelled, tears now in his eyes, as he pushed her away with Airbending.

Linking eyes for a moment, Jinora savoured the sight of her husband's face before she turned and sprinted towards the spirit portal in the heart of Republic City. The Avatar followed her, tearing up the world around him as the Avatar State raged uncontrolled. Before she entered, she looked back for a split second at the carnage that had erupted so suddenly. Republic City was under siege, her family had been captured and-

The blast of fire caught her heavily in the midriff. She felt a burning sensation and then a slight tingling all over as she fell backwards into the Spirit Portal. The last thing she saw before she passed out was the sight of the Avatar in his elemental sphere flying straight towards her…. 

* * *

><p><span>Earlier...<span>

Jahn had been at the Air Temple for two days before the White Lotus had caught up with him. The very fact it had taken them this long surprised him and he had begun to think he had fled totally successfully.

He had been sat around with Kai, talking and laughing at the tales the Airbender had from the last twenty years. Having met Avatar Korra, Jahn had sought him out for a more distant view; Kai had not been as close to Korra as Jinora had been. Dealing with the emotional fallout of her death was proving to be Jahn's biggest challenge yet.

"Yeah, and then Zaheer apparently jumped off the cliff but could actually fly. Like, without a suit or anything. Crazy."

Jahn's eyes widened. "How did she escape?"

"Well, she gave herself up in the end but had to fight very hard for her life. Honestly, if it weren't for Jinora, the other Airbenders and me, I dunno whether she'd have lived."

"I thought Korra was a really powerful bender though. How did she not beat one Airbender with all the elements and the Avatar State?"

Kai shrugged. "Might have been because Zaheer was more spiritual than all of us combined. Except maybe Tenzin, he's pretty tuned in with all the spirit-y goings on. And Bumi, actually. Guess it helps when you had the Avatar for a Dad, huh?"

"And Korra had no children?"

"Nah. She was actually still young when she passed. It's something that Jinora doesn't like to talk about. She won't even mention it in front of Aana or even Ioran, but I told them anyway."

Jahn raised an eyebrow, which Kai saw and pulled a face. "At the end of the day, I'm their Dad. If they need to know something, I'm not gonna hold back from saying it."

Jahn nodded. "Korra told me to come here. To make sure you were all well. She looked only just older than me now."

"She was twenty-three when she died from that illness. It hit her pretty hard and we never found out what it was. Problem is, if it still exists, it might look different in different people," Kai said glumly.

"True. Hey, she didn't start to forget things and become weaker, did she? Like, have random spells of illness before she…?" Jahn asked curiously. His idea was not yet fully formed but he had noticed the signs.

Kai frowned as he thought. "Now you come to mention it..."

"AVATAR!" a voice yelled from behind them. Turning, the two men saw a number of White Lotus members stood around, hands raised as if wary of an attack. The woman that had yelled was dressed in the uniform as well but was clearly in charge. Her dark red hair was long and full, as were her lips. She exuded a strange aura, one of passion and seductiveness. Her eyes were large and wide and her skin was pale like a polarbear-dog's fur. Her complexion was marred only by the crescent moon tattoo on her right cheek that started below her eye and ran down her jawline towards her chin. "We've been looking for you. You've been a bad boy."

Kai stood up and approached the newcomers. "White Lotus, you're not needed. The Avatar is beginning his Airbending training here." His clothes were nondescript, not Airbender style. They fluttered in the light breeze as the White Lotus stood still.

The woman stepped forward slightly and continued speaking to Jahn, ignoring Kai completely. "My my bad boy, your breakout was impressive. You singlehandedly escaped the White Lotus. I rather think they're peeved with you. I'm not, though. I'm rather…impressed," she said slowly with a wink. Jahn blushed slightly at the sheer openness of her flirting. He couldn't remember seeing her in the compound and he would have certainly remembered her. "What's your name?" he asked with a strangely broken voice.

"Oh my name doesn't matter. Although call me…hmm…Scarlett. Yes, like the colour. Rather seductive, don't you think?" she asked, winking again. She was clearly enjoying herself. Smoothing down her robe, she highlighted her slim figure and turned to the White Lotus members. "Caught you looking Ta Lin. Naughty girl." Laughing, she turned back to the Avatar with a flick of her hair.

Kai pointed at Scarlett. "Hey, excuse me missy, but I just said, you don't need to take the Avatar." Jahn nodded and stood up, sensing the tension that was building.

Scarlett looked at the Airbender for the first time. "Well now, you're rather handsome. I like the hair. Well, Mr Handsome, we're not taking him back to the compound, if that's what you're worried about. We're not even White Lotus. Oops, there goes our big bad secret."

Alarm bells began to ring in Jahn's mind but Kai was already well ahead of him. "Then who are you? And why are you dressed as White Lotus?"

Scarlett sauntered up to him and stopped only when she was close enough to kiss him. "My my Mr Handsome, you're even better up close. We're dressed like this because we're disguised. Duh. And our group is one you've already met before." She turned away, swishing her hair into Kai's face as she walked back towards her group.

Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "Red Lotus!" he exclaimed with a gasp.

"Ten points to Mr Handsome! And unless the Avatar comes with us, we'll take down the White Lotus with all our sleepy-weepy agents from the inside." Scarlett's confidence was quickly becoming sheer arrogance as she revealed her plan.

Kai stood frozen, torn between decisions. He could fly up to the upper floors of the Temple right now and alert Jinora and the others, but the Avatar would be taken. But if he stayed and fought, the Avatar would still be taken.

"Why would I go with you?" Jahn said with a raised voice. "The White Lotus can defend itself!"

Scarlett rolled her eyes as if bored. "Yes indeed. Although, we have a special guest that maybe can't defend herself. A guest that we took into 'safekeeping' but really, we just took her from the White Lotus without those morons ever realising." Noticing the look on Jahn's face, she laughed lightly. "Well now, he's worked it out. I do love a bit of leverage. Want to come see your mother before she dies?"

Jahn clenched his fists so tight that his nails dug into his hands. More than anything, he wanted to attack these people; these evil people who had taken his mother. He did not know who they were but if they threatened her again…

"Fine. Take me to her. And then once she's safe, I'll do whatever you want."

Scarlett smiled slowly. "Well then, looks like we're going downtown," she said smugly.

Kai launched himself into the air.

* * *

><p>"Why are you doing this?" Jahn asked as they walked through the streets of Republic City. Civilians parted to let the White Lotus uniforms through, bowing sometimes respectfully. They had taken a boat to the city docks and had walked from there. No help had yet arrived.<p>

The uniforms were silent. Scarlett walked at the back of the group and none of the other Red Lotus members had identified themselves.

Eventually, the number of people they encountered dwindled and stopped altogether as they headed towards the Spirit Portal. The area surrounding it was still luscious and full of life, but the buildings around were shattered and broken. The spirits lived on the Spirit Plain and in the buildings around happily, welcoming any visitors and tourists that travelled to see the new portal. Today, however, White Lotus uniforms had blocked off a small area to the south of the portal and seemed centred around one building in particular. It was to this shattered skyscraper that they headed.

"Is that where we're going? Is my mother there?" he asked with a calm voice. Inside, he was bursting with anger and panic but forced himself to remain calm until he could escape with his mother. "Does Zukoh know about this?"

At this, Scarlett pushed her way forward. Grabbing the back of his shirt, she pushed him along. "Don't mention that name again. That man has no respect for anything and loves nobody but himself. We wouldn't dare have him in the Red Lotus."

Jahn sensed that he'd hit a nerve. She must have been rather close to Grand Master Zukoh at some point. "I bet you loved him but he was so boring and uptight about his job that he didn't think you were worth the time and then—" he began to say cheekily before he got a reaction. Smacking the back of his head hard, Scarlett knocked him to the floor. Her seductiveness had vanished; instead, she looked positively deranged. Her hair was messy and her face was so contorted with pain and anger that she didn't even look the same person. Igniting a fire in her hand, she held it out at Jahn, who jumped to his feet and raised his hands in surrender. "Alright alright, shutting up now!" he said quickly. Moving along, he smirked. At least he knew what kind of a bender she was now.

Once they reached the building, the darkness inside was palpable after the intense glow of the portal. A number of people were inside, all wearing either White Lotus uniforms or a similar one with dark red trim. These uniforms were less like robes and instead more like the jumpsuits that the Airbenders wore, making the wearers look like formidable combatants. They climbed a few flights of broken stairs before arriving on the fifth floor. Entering one large room that clearly used to be an office of some kind, they made their way over to the far window, which still had some glass in it. A man sat on a chair with his feet up on a desk. Stood next to him was a shorter woman who looked rather confused and upset. Her hair was unwashed and tangled and her face was dirty. She looked far thinner than the last time Jahn had seen her. That had only been a few weeks ago. The obvious maltreatment of his mother was painful to see and it took all of Jahn's self-control not to totally lose his temper. The man did not turn his chair; he just sat and continued to stare out of the window at the portal as they approached.

"Mother!" Jahn gasped as he ran to embrace her. Clutching her tightly, he felt her pat his back. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you…" she muttered over and over quietly. It didn't matter if she was aware of his identity; the sound of her voice again made Jahn feel so relieved. As ill as she was, she required particular care, which she had clearly not received at the hands of the Red Lotus...or even the White Lotus.

"Why did you take her? Why do you need me?" he asked the man in the chair angrily. He did not move or even turn his head. Jahn felt slightly foolish shouting at the back of a man's head, so span him round forcibly by the shoulder. The man fell from the chair heavily and did not stir. Corpses seldom do.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Jahn yelled in shock. The Red Lotus members all laughed at his surprise, prompting Scarlett to step forward. She had regained her composure from earlier and had the same flirty manner. "Thought he was the boss? Aw, sweetie, he was just a joke. If you're looking for a leader of some kind, then you may as well stare at this beautiful face right here," she said with a grin.

Jahn stepped forward angrily. "Then answer me dammit! Why do you need me!?"

Scarlett pouted. "Aw baby boo, we only need you for your Avatar conversational skills. We need you to talk to some spirit for us and convince it to uphold a bargain. That's it."

"What bargain? What spirit?"

"Is this an interrogation? Keep asking questions and I might not play so nice."

"Miss Layim, there are Airbenders approaching!" a guard shouted as he ran into the room.

Scarlett raised a slim eyebrow. "Your friends? I'm sure they probably brought help too. My Red Lotus, the time for secrets is up! It's time to take this city! Tell everyone to reveal themselves and let's get this train rolling!" she said with a high pitched laugh. "The White Lotus won't last much longer," she happily muttered to herself.

Jahn took the opportunity of her distractedness and immediately leapt forward, kicking fire from his feet as he did so. Landing, he swiped widely with his right arm and sent a wave of fire at the group ahead of him. One woman sent a blast of air towards him, making Jahn dodge way off to the side. Scarlett simply turned and waved the fire away lazily. Her face was stern once more, her perfect faced marred by a frown.

"Oh boo boo, I told you NOT to misbehave!" she shouted, before slowly moving her hands in a slow dance like movement. The room darkened as sparks began to literally fly from her hands as she separated the energies. The lightning sparked and fizzled for a few seconds before she pointed quickly, releasing the energy.

The lightning flew through the air almost quicker than Jahn could follow. He watched with absolute horror as it collided with his mother in her chest, lifting her off her feet and out through the glass window. It felt like slow motion as he saw the shock on her face, the small 'o' of her mouth and the pain in her eyes, surrounded by sparkling glimmers of light from the glass. Within a horrible, fleeting heartbeat, she had gone.

For a second, Jahn did not react. Stunned beyond belief, he could not think. Could not react. Could not….

His eyes spluttered with energy and began to glow intensely. His fists were clenched so tight with the sheer pain of his mother's demise so raw, so powerful. He began to rise into the air slowly, a whirling wind forming underneath his feet. Any attempts by the Red Lotus members to drag him down or knock him away were brushed aside with one shaking hand. Jahn's anger was so full and intense that even the Avatar State was struggling to contain his fury.

Roaring loudly, he spat fire into the air and the winds became a sphere around him that smashed both the ceiling and the floor alike. Literally blowing up the floor they were on, Jahn burst out into the open sky above the body of his mother and the watching Red Lotus members. Had he been aware of his surroundings and actions, he would have noticed the Airbenders all landing heavily and engaging in battle with the Red Lotus members. He would have noticed the actual White Lotus arriving with Grand Master Zukoh at the head of the charge. He would have noticed night beginning to fall and the end of the worst day of his life.

Avatar Jahn did not notice any of this.

He was too lost to despair.


	9. Meanwhile

Meanwhile:

The situation in Republic City was dire. All of the key influential figures of the city had been imprisoned or detained for questioning. It had all happened so fast.

The Red Lotus had infiltrated the city en masse over the last twenty years and established themselves within the very heart of the city. Furthermore, they had even infiltrated the White Lotus, bringing the group to their knees. Tenzin did not see a way out of this. Even before, when things had looked so bleak, he had always known that justice would prevail. How he had not seen the signs, he did not know. 'Fool', he thought to himself angrily.

His hands were handcuffed behind his back and the escort did not seem willing to give him a moments rest, driving him into the city without pause. It had seemed like they had a chance for a moment, until Jahn had burst from the building and caused absolute carnage. The pure rage and pain evident on the young man's face had hit Tenzin hard; his father had mentioned how horrible the Avatar State could be uncontrolled. For the first time up-close, Tenzin had seen what he meant.

His age had finally got the better of him. Never one to back down, Tenzin had tried his hardest to protect his family, but the Red Lotus had been too many. Knocking him from his air-scooter, it had not taken long before he was encased in an earthen prison with only his head free. All the other benders he had known before, such as Toph or even his mother, had been far stronger at a more advanced age than just seventy-five. What was wrong with him?

"Come on, get moving you," a Red Lotus said, pushing him along slightly with a nudge. Where they were going was anyone's guess. The other White Lotus, including Zukoh, had been taken elsewhere. He had not seen Kai or Jinora. Worry swirled in his stomach.

They walked a while before reaching a large intricate building; the Police Headquarters. Tenzin sighed. Lin would not be pleased that the new Chief put up such a weak fight against the Insurrection. She'd only be even more grumpy than usual. If possible.

Instead of entering the building as Tenzin had thought, the escort stopped him in the plaza outside the building. They formed a circle and the Red Lotus from earlier forced the Airbender to his knees. He landed heavily, jarring the bones. Nothing happened for a few moments, allowing Tenzin to gaze around. The Headquarters seemed perfectly normal, albeit more defences on the windows, with only small specks of light shining from behind metal bars. Maybe they hadn't yet managed to take the building?

"Beifong! Come out and surrender! If you don't, we kill the Airbender!" shouted one woman with red hair, holding a megaphone. Dread gripped Tenzin; his life was in Lin's hands and if she had truly managed to hold out in the Headquarters, then she might not be willing to risk her police just for his life.

He would soon find out.

* * *

><p>Kai grimaced. He and the other Airbenders that had reported to the rescue of the Avatar had been captured by the Red Lotus. What was worse, however, was seeing numerous Airbenders that had had met from the different Air Temples before helping the Red Lotus. They even wore the uniform. Traitors.<p>

"Hey, could we get some light in here? It's a bit dull in here, like your personalities," he laughed at the guard. One sentry guarding four Airbenders all locked in one metal cage? Not exactly fair.

The guard turned and used Metalbending to slam the extra cell door shut, leaving them in pitch blackness. Kai was left with just the sounds of breathing and the feeling of extreme worry. He had not seen Jinora captured and so assumed she made it to the Spirit World. Their own situation, however, was far worse.

"Kai, that one was just terrible."

"Yeah well I wasn't trying my best Auri, why don't you try?" Kai replied snarkily. Despite their predicament, it was always best to stay positive and enjoy the experience. Ever since he met Avatar Korra, Master Tenzin and Jinora all those years ago, this had been his outlook on life. "It's not every day we get arrested! Who knows, we might be able to plan a cool jailbreak!"

"Kai, leave it. There's literally nobody left; even the White Lotus are down. Our wings have been clipped," Auri replied. In the darkness, Kai could not see her but he knew what she looked like. She was one of the few Airbenders willing to shave her head, which only drew more attention to her head. Kai was not usually one to judge people's appearances but she was not exactly a looker; her nose had been broken years earlier, her complexion marred by broken and pockmarked skin from an illness as a child and her eyes were a little too small. They did, however, shine a brilliant shade of green.

Kai pulled a face. "True, we're a little bruised and battered, but we still have our bending. If we can get out of here, we can start to round everyone up and take back the city."

"Seriously? I love your enthusiasm but even Master Tenzin was taken. The Avatar has vanished and your wife along with him. Hey, maybe they ran off together…"

Kai pushed his arms out quickly in a sharp burst of anger. A gust of air flew towards the sound of her voice, resulting in a mess of noise including the sound of someone being pushed against the wall. "Hey!" she protested angrily. "I was only kidding!"

Kai shook his head, which he realised was useless given the low light. "Look, I know it's all fine joking around but my daughter is still out there. She's only in the city because we were. We need to get out of here and find her; Jinora can look after herself for now."

Another voice piped up, a slightly younger one. "Yeah Kai's right! Those dunderheads out there don't know what we're capable of!" One of the other Airbenders in the cell was only a kid, Rui. He reminded him of Meelo somewhat.

Kai pondered. "The only thing is, how do we get through the door? Air can't twist metal."

"I have an idea. If we're really going ahead with this. But it could be dangerous," Auri said quietly.

Kai laughed. "Dangerous is kinda my speciality. What's the plan then?" he asked.

* * *

><p>"Oh hey there sweetie. You're not looking so good."<p>

"Hm? Where….where am I?"

"Aw well you decided to fight against us. Not such a good plan there, my ickle platypus-bear."

"…..Ah."

Scarlett rounded the desk and slammed her palms on it loudly. "Yes. Ah. Glad to see the years haven't made you lose your memories of me."

Zukoh leaned back and laughed weakly. He felt terrible. Some internal injuries maybe, definitely a few external facial ones. One eye was swollen shut and his entire right side felt as though it had been hit by a Satomobile. "How could I? Nobody could…forget that figure," he chuckled. It hurt to even breathe but it was worth it just to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. The Red Lotus had taken the City without even so much as a whisper of their presence, the Order of the White Lotus had fallen and Zukoh had been totally helpless to stop it.

"What's so funny Zu-Zu? You're under my control now, instead of the other way around. For years, I followed you and you chose a stupid promotion over my love?" Scarlett asked aggressively. Her tone was harsh and questioning, as though baiting him for a response.

Zukoh obliged. "Yeah. Well, my father was never a fan of your apparent love. He chose the United Republic Armed Forces at an early age and had no regrets. Neither do I with my Order."

"An Order which has been defeated. First, you lot. The next, all the World Leaders. Well, what can I say hunnybun, the plan hasn't really changed since Zaheer was in charge."

Zukoh was silent for a moment. "You know, the terrible thing about you was your cooking. It was just awful."

Scarlett faced him, anger on her face. He knew he was hurting her deeply. Although he was the one tied to a chair in some room. He was pretty damn hurt too. No point being formal about the situation. "You….you…." she spluttered, speechless.

"Yeah. Me. Your husband. The one you've locked up because of your stupid beliefs. Why are you doing this?"

Scarlett breathed deeply and turned away from him. "To help the world recover after Harmonic Convergence. To help spirits and humans live together as equals. For liberty. Now, husband dear, tell me. Where is the Avatar?"

Zukoh raised an eyebrow. "He got away? Hm. Underestimated that kid."

* * *

><p>Aana was scared. The City was in big trouble and even the spirits were scared. She huddled in her room in the Air Temple, clutching the fur of her young sky bison, Leemi. The bison was still only half-grown and still fit through the wide window and was Aana's greatest comfort when she was upset. She lay on the floor, paws spread out, enjoying Aana's company.<p>

Her parents had left the Temple in a hurry with Grandpa Tenzin and a lot of other Airbenders. She didn't know why but she knew in her heart that they had gone to stop some bad guys. After a while, though, explosions had rang out from across the water and she had watched as the City fought a battle. Spirits rose in their hundreds and made their way from the City across to the Island, where they swarmed restlessly. Something had driven them out of the City. Or someone.

A small spirit was hiding with Aana in her room. It was a cute little thing in the form of a baby flying boar, sprouting tiny tusks under a short little snout. Flapping its wings restlessly, it paced up and down. It was this spirit that told Aana of the events.

"But they said they wanted to help the spirits. I don't know why they forced us out," it said with a sad little grunt.

Aana sniffed. "Maybe they're just liars. My Dad told me that some bad guys tried to stop Korra once. Maybe it's them again. They're bad people."

The spirit looked even more worried and curled up against Leemi. "I hope not. I want to go back home."

Aana nodded. "I know. Hey, why don't we play a game to make us happy again?"

The spirit looked up hopefully, its snout twitching. "A game? I could teach you a spirit game but you'd have to be in the Spirit World."

"Why?"

"I don't know. My friends used to play it there. I wish I could see them again."

The young Airbender sighed. Her head was hurting and she didn't feel very well. "Well how about a nap? We might wake up and everything will be ok again."

From the window came a roar. Far above their heads, a huge dragon spirit had landed on the top of the temple. With infernal eyes he gazed at the city in anger. The surrounding spirits all gazed at the newcomer, who was clearly more powerful and wise than them all.

"It's Qi-lóng. The dragon spirit of air…." the little boar spirit said with a gasp, looking up from the windowsill. Aana made her way over, craning her neck out to catch a glimpse of the white dragon spirit. "One of the great air spirits. Why is it here, little boar spirit?" she asked in reply.

"Maybe to help you all. Maybe just to see the world," it said rather unhelpfully.

Aana made a quick decision. "I need to talk to it. Please fly up there and ask it to come down here," she asked sweetly. She knew the boar spirit would not want to do so but she could hardly jump onto the roof.

The boar spirit flapped its wings and jumped from the window with a sad little grunt. It descended quickly before rising once more, struggling to keep itself aloft. Rising higher, it left Aana's view. She could only hope the dragon spirit would be curious enough to speak to her.

It was. A mass of scales slid past her window and came to a stop as a great eye opened. Large enough to fill the entire window which even Leemi could squeeze through, it blinked once and a deep voice echoed, "Air child. This is not the best of times."

Aana bowed. "I know. The bad guys have trapped my family and friends, haven't they?"

Qi-lóng blinked once more. "The Red Lotus seek to create balance, but in doing so create only chaos. Balance does not come from chaos, just as peace can never come from war. The humans are misguided and must be stopped. I, Qi-lóng, will observe the humans, to see their true motives and desires. If they truly wish to destroy the order of this world which the Avatar helped to create, then the spirits may yet go to war."

Aana shook her head. "No! The spirits can't fight, that won't help anything! Even you just said the fighting is bad!"

Qi-lóng began to retreat. "It is a waiting game, dear child. We shall watch. But you should instead focus on healing, instead of the turmoil that grips this world. A great evil has its claws around you, child, one which must be cleansed." The nose of the dragon spirit vanished from view, leaving her alone with Leemi.

Aana was silent. All she could do now was wait and wonder what the Great Spirit had meant.

* * *

><p>The Avatar was asleep. Nestled in a bed of flowers, he had landed and immediately collapsed. Surrounded by rocks and drenched from the water which had fallen on him, he could have been dead were it not for the gentle rise and fall of his shoulders. Lying on his front, he had not been moved.<p>

The other young man sat a few feet away had been startled out of his skin only a mere half hour before. Taking a tour of the Spirit World, he had chosen to enlighten himself by travelling from the Northern Water Tribe to the South. Having heard about the new portal….well, who could resist a slight detour to see such a sight?

The woman had fallen through first. Flying backwards, she had landed in the grass quite heavily, her hands clasped to her stomach. Sporting Airbender garbs, she also had a bright blue arrow tattoo on her hands and forehead. She too was unconscious.

This was not even the surprising bit. Honestly, women threw themselves at him quite a lot. Never quite in this fashion, but still, he could tick it off the bucket list. He'd only been at the portal for like five minutes and already it was kicking off.

The next part shocked him to his core. All of a sudden, a huge wind knocked him off his feet and he watched through parted fingers as he shielded his eyes from the soil being kicked up. A figure emerged from the portal, floating in mid-air, supported by nothing except a whirling tornado under its feet. It hovered there for a moment, illuminated by the bright glow of the portal and the fierce white light of its eyes. Something sparked like lightning and the figure was blasted sideways like a rag doll, falling face down in the flowers nearby. The portal itself began to change; instead of a large beam of light, it shrunk in on itself and became a bright green ball of energy. The portal was closed.

Anik Pallaya was stunned. The Avatar had just burst through the portal, closed it, fainted and left him stood there like a baby Otterpenguin. He'd seen many weird and wonderful things in the Spirit World but this was probably the strangest. He'd cautiously checked the Avatar before making sure the woman was ok.

She was very pretty, with long black hair that fell to her shoulders, despite the signs of wear on her. The Airbender was covered in dirt and had soot on her cheeks, as well as a smouldering patch on her stomach. Had the Avatar attacked her? Anik wanted answers. Taking some water, he bent it into a small sphere and applied it to the woman's burn, making it glow with healing power. Once he had finished, he unpacked his backpack and set up camp. These two clearly needed some help.

"Well Anik, you've done it again mate. Managed to find trouble even when backpacking alone. Impressive stuff…" he mumbled to himself with a rueful chuckle. "Ah well. Better than trekking alone. Maybe something interesting is gonna happen, eh Whiri?" he said aloud. The ground began to shake slightly and a few metres away, a creature emerged from the ground. About the size of a baby flying bison, it crawled from the dirt, shaking off the dirt from its shell. Three wavy lines on the forehead creased in confusion and the creature rolled its huge shoulders.

Anik patted the young lion-turtle on its back. "Well Whiri, looks like we're camping here for the night buddy."


	10. The Newcomer

The Newcomer:

The Spirit World was truly beautiful. In her youth, Jinora had never truly appreciated the natural wonder of the place, instead focusing on its inhabitants. The spirits were varied and ever changing, but so was the world they lived in. Untouched by humanity for so long, it still felt…new. Even at dusk, it shone with a thousand colours, twirling and circling to create beautiful ribbons of light in the sky.

Her stomach still hurt when she moved, making her groan quietly. The waterbender had healed her considerably when she awoke but even so, it would take a while before she would be in fighting shape again. A strong blow from the Avatar and she was effectively down and out. Pretty poor show. Even Meelo would be back on his feet by now. Thinking about it, Meelo would definitely be on his feet. That guy never really grew up. The thought of her brother brought a faint smile to her lips.

"So, granddaughter of the Avatar huh? That's pretty sweet! I probably wouldn't be here if Aang hadn't saved the Northern Water Tribe and the Moon Spirit," Anik said with an impressed grin.

"Yeah. He saved a lot of people. So did Korra. They were great people," Jinora said. Ordinarily she would have loved to discuss history such as this but she felt too bruised for small talk right now. The only things which drew her attention were the portal and the creature beside it. One inspired sheer panic in her, whilst the other inspired absolute wonder.

"The portal is closed. How did that happen?" she asked the waterbender. His name was Anip, or something similar. Anid? Anik? No idea. She'd decided to solve the mysteries around her first before considering why he was helping her.

"The Avatar did something when he came through. He kinda flew through the air and when he shot out of the portal, it just sealed up. I've never seen anything like it," Anik exclaimed, waving his hands around excitedly and making Satomobile noises as he demonstrated it, jumping into the flowers. Clambering to his feet, he dusted off the petals from his water tribe clothes.

Jinora frowned. "You haven't? You do realise that's a lion-turtle standing next to you? They're supposed to be extinct by now!" she remarked, totally baffled by his nonchalance.

Anik nodded with a smile. "Oh yeah, that's my buddy Whiri. He's accompanied me from the Northern Portal. Don't tell him but I'm totally jealous of his shell."

"Amazing! Does he talk? My grandfather said the one he met talked."

Anik shrugged. "Probably. He's just the quiet type. If he talks then he's never bothered to respond. It's just nice having company, y'know? Gets pretty lonely sometimes…"

Jinora observed the newcomer. He seemed genuinely nice, with a spark of craziness that reminded her of Ikki, Meelo and Kai. The ability to make people laugh in dark times was a valuable one indeed. Plus, healing her was a blessing. Ever since her Gran-Gran passed away, she'd never met anyone quite as effective at healing. Except for maybe now.

"Do you not have a girlfriend or family that could have come with you?" she inquired. She was trying desperately not to miss her own family but if the portal was truly closed then there would be no way of saving them.

Anik laughed. "Nah, girls aren't really my type."

Jinora's eyes widened slightly. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean presume to...Well, Korra dated her female friend for a while too so it's not that I don't approve…" she gabbled on, aware of Anik's amused smile.

"Jinora, calm down, it's fine. The reason I came here was because I actually fell out with my old boyfriend. I don't really wanna go into details but I thought some time away from people might be nice," Anik said somewhat ruefully.

The airbender didn't reply. She observed the man who had stayed to help her when she needed it most. His water tribe garbs were slightly tattered and frayed, showing either a long period of use or a very hectic one, or perhaps even both. His bright blue eyes shone brilliantly and his hair was silver-white, which was tied in traditional water tribe dreadlocks. He was well built but slim, narrow faced but with a good jawline.

"How old are you Anik?" she asked, curious to complete her analysis of him. She so hoped she'd got his name right. Embarrassment was really not what she needed right now.

"Twenty-five next spring. I've no idea what season it is in the Spirit World though, so might already be that by now," he chuckled. Bending over the fire, he rubbed his hands together for warmth. The glow from the portal helped illuminate the area but the Spirit Night had set in.

"And your hair? My Gran-Gran once told me a story of when…"

"When Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe became the Moon Spirit. Yeah. I know it. And yes, the same happened to me. I was blessed by the Moon. I'd rather not discuss anymore," Anik said, turning away from her slightly.

Jinora raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet. She'd clearly offended him by delving too deep into his past too quickly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled sincerely.

They sat talking for a while about more trivial matters before Anik decided to retire for sleep. Jinora had never felt more relieved to close her eyes, despite having enjoyed learning about the newcomer. Maybe sleep would help her forget all that had happened. If only that could happen. If only...

...She sat upright with a start. Something was wrong.

Daylight had returned to the Spirit World. Around her, spirits were sat watching curiously. The portal had not been sealed since its creation. And who were these strangers?

"Anik!" Jinora whispered loudly. When she got no response, she looked over and saw the waterbender was gone. Turning her head, she saw that Jahn had also disappeared. The only familiar sights were the portal and the young lion-turtle, which had half buried itself in the ground, still asleep.

Hearing footsteps, she sat up with a groan. Her stomach felt far better than yesterday but was still sore. As she slowly clambered to her feet, she saw Anik running towards her, a look of alarm on his face. "He's gone, Jinora!"

The airbender frowned. Jahn had vanished!? "Did you see him leave?"

Anik stopped in front of her, gasping for air. "No. Although one of…these spirits saw him….walk over that hill last night and got snatched by a flying monster. I went to see but….I couldn't find any trace of him."

Jinora shook her head. "We need him to open this portal! Where the hell has he gone, what could have taken the Avatar of all people!?" she said angrily, panicking ever so slightly. Every moment they wasted in the Spirit World was another she was away from her daughter.

Anik shook his head. "I don't know but if you need to find him, we should follow the trail we've got. There might be a clue to what took him. Although we'd have to move fast. Are you able to travel?"

Jinora nodded, a fierce look of determination on her face. "Just try and stop me."

* * *

><p>"Welcome, Avatar."<p>

Jahn opened his eyes groggily. "Wha-what happened?"

"You gave in to your Avatar powers. And then you sealed the portal. I am not pleased by this, Avatar. Not at all." The voice was strange; it was both a whisper and a deep, powerful voice, mixed with an animal-like hiss.

His vision was blurry but he could feel himself bound by something. Looking at his wrists, he noticed a thin green vine wrapped around each and into the ground, binding him to the ground in a bowing position. Craning his neck up, he noticed the speaker as he fought to wake fully.

A spirit stood in front of him. Larger than a normal human, it had a humanoid shape. Its hands were large and had claws, as did its feet. Its torso was similar to a human male's, but was dark and covered in a thin layer of fur. Its head was that of a bat, with great white eyes that stared into nothingness. Its legs were strangely thin compared to its body; dark green and introverted, like that of an insect. Jahn thought it looked a weird mix of various animals and maybe even a human part or two.

"Creatures that I have absorbed," said the spirit, noticing his gaze. The mouth did not move. It seemed to be speaking telepathically.

"Who are you?" Jahn whispered. He felt terrible. The memories of Republic City was starting to creep back.

The spirit looked left and right sharply, before turning its head all the way around like an owl. "My name is Vehrin, the Soul Eater. You are the Avatar."

Jahn nodded slowly. "Yes. What do you want with me, Vehrin?" he asked. Looking around, he saw they were speaking in a small grove in a forest. The trees all had black leaves and were slightly withered, as if dying. The air had a menacing, ominous feel that left Jahn with a dreadful sense of foreboding.

The spirit twisted its head round to normal and unfurled two large bat wings from its back. Spreading them ominously, it raised a clawed hand to gesture around them. "Everything. I want what those humans promised me. They sought you out to barter with me, but I dictate the terms of our agreement," it said, apparently speaking to both Jahn and itself.

"What agreement?"

Vehrin clicked its tiny teeth together quickly. "I did not choose this form. I stole it. From everything. Do you know why they call me the Soul Eater, Avatar?"

"What? No. I've never heard of you."

The spirit shuffled slightly to the right for no apparent reason. "I eat souls. Slowly. Slowly. I devour the souls over time. Before, it was only the spirits. The yummy spirits. But then the portals opened and Vaatu was freed. Oh, and then all the humans. I couldn't enter the physical world then. I had no form. I spread myself like an illness, seeking out the strong spirits that I may feed on their life force, their chi," the spirit said, twitching at the very thought. It seemed to be apparently enjoying the monologue, so Jahn did not interrupt. His suspicions may very well be about to be confirmed.

"But then I came across the human, the little human. Seeking power, he made a deal with I, the great Soul Eater. But he was naïve to think he could control me. I took over his body and used it as a vessel. I wandered this world, finding the strongest spirits. I drew from their power to feed mine. The spirit portals were open. Feeding, feeding, through the portals. Slowly. Slowly."

Jahn did not take his eyes off the spirit, but began to carefully rub his hands together, creating a little heat. Touching the vines with his index fingers, they began to smoke lightly. As interesting as this was, he did not like where it was going. This spirit was a vampire. Nothing good could come of that.

"Oh, the great spirits would be a feast. A tasty tasty feast. I looked for them, but Vaatu was no more and Raava was gone. But then a new portal appeared. One which was close to I. One which spirits flocked through. It helped tear down the divisions in our worlds, helped me to—YOU AREN'T LISTENING!" it roared randomly, making Jahn jump in fright. The bat head screeched loudly, the high pitched squeal making Jahn's eardrums hurt.

"I am, I am!" Jahn shouted back in panic. The spirit was clearly insane.

"Not you, human. Raava is not listening. Listen, listen, listen."

Jahn frowned. The name sounded so familiar but he could not remember why.

"The portal was new, fresh. I was strong by then, strong enough to start feeding on the humans in your entire world. But humans are stupid, mindless, boring. I need spiritual energy. So the spiritual humans die first. I drain them so fast, so tasty. They don't even know who they are by the end. So weak, so pitiful. The Avatar was the first. The Avatar will be the next. The Air humans too. Then the rest, the rest of them," it said gleefully. Clacking its teeth, it flapped the wings excitedly.

Jahn stopped burning the vines. Looking up with sudden realisation, he stared at the spirit, understanding dawning on his face. "It was you. You."

Vehrin opened its mouth wide but did not close it. "I. I eat the souls."

"You went after Korra when you woke up. You made her ill, you drained her life. You killed her. And made my mother ill….because I'M the Avatar now. The Airbenders, Aana, anyone spiritual or close to the Avatar. YOU'RE KILLING THEM!" Jahn exclaimed in horror.

Vehrin took a few steps closer to Jahn and bent over slightly. At around nine foot tall, it towered over the young Avatar. "Of course. And if the Red humans uphold their end of the agreement, I shall kill the rest. Including them. I helped them take the City. They help me become the most powerful spirit. Raava and Vaatu will be helpless against I." Giggling, it turned and began to sway back and forth erratically.

"Jahn."

He looked around quickly. The voice was female; definitely not the spirit in front of him. It was soothing and reassuring at the same time and Jahn knew then and there that it was his Avatar spirit talking directly to him.

"Jahn. Connect with your past life. She will help you," Raava said quietly within his mind.

Closing his eyes tight, Jahn squeezed his face in concentration. The panic to escape was so strong, the fear of what this spirit could do so palpable that he simply wanted to melt into the earth. It was a mere moment after this thought flashed through his mind that he felt a surge of power. Korra was with him.

Turning, the spirit was quick enough to witness Jahn drop into the earth as though he'd never been there. There was not even a hole; the human had simply sunk into the dirt. Feeling its power, Vehrin knew that the Avatar was still there somewhere. Still….succulent.

The grotto turned dark, despite the clear sky. Shadows infused every gap in the branches and the Spirit World was silent. In confusion, Vehrin flapped its wings and hovered in the air, twisting its neck around to see the change in the area. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The ground beneath the spirit exploded violently. A great white light shot from the ground into the sky and within this light, the Avatar rose slowly. Eyes glowing bright, hair whipping in a frenzy, Avatar Korra rose in terrible vengeance. Pointing at the spirit, she delivered her ultimatum. "You took away my life. You hurt my friends. You're killing the people I love. You must be stopped, Vehrin. Back to the shadows! "

A sphere of bright blue energy enveloped the Avatar, obscuring her from view. The spirit hissed and flew away from the blinding light, fleeing into the trees with a howl. Once it had vanished from view, the sphere gradually lowered itself to the floor and vanished, leaving Jahn stood with glowing eyes. The glow dimmed and Jahn fell to all fours, exhausted, but victorious. Despite the victory, he felt only an ashen taste in his mouth.

Korra had learnt the truth of her death. At last.

* * *

><p>((Yeah that's right, Korra was technically murdered. Yay! What a happy fanfic this is, eh? Had the idea for a vampire type spirit for a while now and just to clarify, it kinda drains and absorbs pretty much anything, hence the haphazard appearance. Also, Anik aspires to be the next Sokka and enjoys long walks on the beach. In case that chapter didn't give enough info on him...))<p> 


	11. Jahn Alone

((Shorter one this time! Everyone's getting a bit battered and bruised, time for a rest...))

Jahn Alone:

The forest didn't seem to end. With every step, it seemed to grow slightly lighter but the trees did not give way. Lost in the spirit world. Surely he must be the first Avatar to have totally lost his way so quickly.

There were not even any spirits around to assist him. The forest was silent, eerily so, and Jahn was sorely tempted to just burn the whole thing down with firebending so that he could escape. He'd already ignited a small flame in his left hand, which he held out in front of him so that he could light his way.

The silence gave him time to consider the recent events that had occurred so quickly. The death of his mother, of course, saddened him more than he could bear. He could feel the guilt and sorrow in his very bones and he slumped slightly as he walked, the weight of his failure heavy on him. Jahn had failed to save his mother, both from the illness that had eaten away at her and also from the Red Lotus, who had simply finished the job. The only tiny sliver of a positive was that she was no longer suffering. Jahn clenched his teeth tight to prevent sorrow from overwhelming him.

The spirit had scared him. Properly, truly scared him. He'd never backed down from a challenge before but the spirit had wanted to make him run to the hills. It was one he'd never even dreamed could exist and the fact it was so personally linked to his past life had a profound effect on the Avatar. He'd been focusing solely on mastering the elements but had yet to consider the spiritual aspect of the role. Until now, when he'd just been metaphorically slapped in the face by it. Vehrin was a real threat and if it physically made its way through a portal, it would drain everyone in the physical world. The Red Lotus had given power to something they couldn't control and now even they are in grave danger. They may have killed his mother but it was his duty to save them all from death. Prison was a far better choice anyway.

Jahn was tired. Tired of all the decisions that had been made for him, events that had been forced upon him and most of all, tired of having the people he loved taken away from him. Admittedly, certain things had worked out quite well. If he had not been taken to the White Lotus compound, he'd not have learned firebending so fast. If he had not been imprisoned, he might not have broken out and met the Airbenders. If he had not lost his mother, he might still be in Republic City as a hostage. It was time to sort things out.

A light to his right distracted him. Turning quickly, his flame was extinguished as he bent two large rocks from the ground, holding them in the air in preparation for an attack. The light gradually grew closer, revealing itself to be a flame held by a portly, elderly gentleman who struck himself as familiar to Jahn. He had a kindly face and smiled when he saw the Avatar. "Hello Jahn. I seem to be making a habit of this," Iroh chuckled.

* * *

><p>"So you knew Avatar Aang. What was he like?" Jahn asked, curious.<p>

"Oh, he was a very wise and powerful Avatar. In the end, he became a very wise and beloved friend," Iroh said with a wide smile.

Jahn nodded. His connection to the past Avatars was still severed, despite Korra's previous assurance that it had been healed. It seemed to be broken forever.

"It's not, you know," Iroh said, looking sideways at Jahn. He seemed to know exactly what the young man was thinking.

"Not?" Jahn replied, confused.

Iroh nodded. "Your connection to your past lives was broken when Avatar Korra fought the Dark Avatar Unalaq. It should have been fixed once she reconnected with Raava during Harmonic Convergence but this was not the case. The Vampire Spirit Vehrin broke free from his prison here in the Spirit World and latched onto Raava like a leechworm."

Jahn shuddered at the thought. A spirit that could attach itself to other spirits, even ones bonded with a human, was a creepy concept.

"So the reason I can't connect with Aang is because Vehrin has drained too much of Raava's energy?" Jahn asked, frowning.

Iroh sighed. "It would seem so. You will have to stop the spirit if you are ever to reconnect with your past lives. Although, I would guess that Avatar Korra is always willing to lend a helping hand to you when you're in need. You have friends who are willing to help you, Jahn, even in dark times when you feel alone."

Jahn was about to reply when he looked around and saw Iroh had vanished. His mouth open in surprise, Jahn looked around but could not see where he'd gone. Iroh had said he'd lead him out of the forest but he'd just left him.

A huge noise startled him. Coming from beyond the next layer of trees, he rushed towards it and suddenly found himself out in the open, sunlight streaming down across a green field. Looking behind, he saw the forest as though it were leagues behind and Jahn quickly found himself stood in the middle of the field. The Spirit World worked in very strange ways, it seemed.

Two spirits were stood in the field, firing energy blasts at each other. Such a fight did not happen often and both spirits seemed ordinarily in control of their actions. They were not possessed or evil. Just angry. "Give it back! Give it back!" one of the spirits yelled. It looked somewhat like a cactus but had the face of a tigerdillo. Its voice was comically high pitched for its fearsome head.

The other spirit was larger, with numerous limbs and an eyeless face, covered in black and white splotches. It shook its head vehemently and fired another blast at the cactus spirit, which dodged and shot a number of large cactus needles back. The dual continued for a moment before Jahn decided to intervene. Maybe if he helped these two out, they could point him in the direction of the Republic City spirit portal.

"Hey!" he shouted, landing in between the two after leaping into the air with firebending. The ground became a small shockwave, which rippled outwards at the force of Jahn's earthbending. The spirits lost their footing as it hit both of them, making both trip and fall forwards. "Why are you two fighting?"

The cactus spirit looked up. "Not that it's your business, Avatar, but Eio-Ren stole my flute. I want it back."

The other spirit was sat like a dog on its haunches. Shaking its head, it helped up four arms as though shrugging.

Jahn pulled a face. "All this for a flute? You spirits have issues. Look, you, Eio-Ren or whatever, do you have the flute or not?"

"She does, she does!" the cactus spirit piped up.

"That's a she? Anyway, shut up you, I'm thinking," Jahn snapped at the cactus. "What made the flute so special?"

The cactus pouted, as well as a tigerdillo could pout. "It was given to me by a human of power. It had sentimental value."

Jahn scratched his head. He hadn't even noticed how filthy he was; it had been ages since he'd had a wash. He was covered in a healthy coating of dirt.

"Look, let's assume you lost it and Eio-Ren doesn't have it. How about I give you a new one? A flute from the Avatar must surely be a good gift?" he suggested tentatively. Being in between two fighting spirits was not where he wanted to be if it all kicked off again.

The cactus spirit looked haughty but eventually shrugged, needles scratching together. "Fine. You owe me one flute Avatar, I won't forget."

The two spirits glared at each other for a moment before walking off in different directions. The cactus spirit seemed to head off across the field to join a number of other cactus type spirits in the distance but Eio-Ren made her way towards a huge lake that lay behind a nearby hill. Following closely, Jahn smiled at the thought of a drink. His stomach grumbled as if in response. When was the last time he even ate?

The water was soothing and helped relax his muscles. Lying in the shallow bank, he closed his eyes as he felt the dirt slowly wash off. His throat was far less parched than earlier but the issue of food remained. Neither he or Jinora had brought supplies with them when they came through the portal. He hoped Jinora had gone back to the City by now. A lot of fighting awaited him when he returned but it would be worth it. The Red Lotus were clearly misguided. Although, the White Lotus weren't much better. Locking him up, fashioning him into what they thought the Avatar should be…that just wasn't how it was meant to be. Jahn knew that he was meant to find his own way as the Avatar. Whatever that meant.

The water around him was still and like glass, allowing Jahn to observe his feet. Wiggling his toes, he smiled as he considered how weird they were. Flicking his big toe randomly, the water around that foot froze instantly and became a solid block of ice that rose to the surface. Jumping at the sudden cold, Jahn splashed backwards and lifted his foot from the water. Something beyond it caught his attention; a small iceberg was floating towards him with a person on top. The man was waterbending his way towards Jahn, who became aware he was in his underwear and nothing else.

A gust of air alerted him to Jinora's presence. Now used to how quietly she could land, Jahn twisted round and saw her attaching her suit-wings to the suit. She looked a bit worse for wear, given the large burn mark on her suit. She made her way over carefully as the waterbender on the ice jumped off and splashed his way onto the bank.

Standing, the pair faced Jahn. He remained lying, looking at their feet. He wasn't really sure what to say. Jinora had stayed to find him instead of finding her family. He was touched. And ashamed.

"Jinora, I'm sorry. I-I couldn't control it. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me," he mumbled, bowing his head.

The airbender looked away, avoiding the sight of his underwear. Anik's gaze, however, suggested the opposite. "It's fine Jahn. Although you closed the portal. We're stuck here," Jinora said.

"Oh. Erm, sorry, who're you?" Jahn asked Anik.

"Anik Pallaya. Nice to meet you once you're awake Avatar. I've been helping Jinora out; you've given us quite a chase."

Jahn stood up quickly. "Jinora. I met a spirit. Vehrin. That's why I'm all the way here, it took me. It…it's what killed Korra. And made my mother ill."

Jinora froze. Her eyes were wide. She considered the impact of his words and immediately dropped to the floor, maintaining a lotus positon. Starting meditation, she tried to block out all thoughts except locating the spirit named Vehrin.

"Wait, Jinora. There's something else. It preys on the most spiritual humans too. I think…I think it's going after your family next."

Jinora heard, but her determination to find the spirit was so great that her astral projection burst forth and vanished, seeking out Vehrin.

Jahn and Anik stood there quietly, staring at the meditating Jinora.

"So. Erm. Not the best reunion I've ever been to. Not the worst though. That time with the mysterious iceberg, the rotten fishmonger and the floating polarbeardog probably takes top spot," Anik chuckled. "Hungry?" he asked, removing a package of food from his satchel.

Jahn span round. "Oh thank the spirits. I was so hungry that I was tempted to try eat that cactus spirit before…"

Anik shrugged. "Not the best idea. I've heard they're not that quenchy."


	12. When History Speaks

When History Speaks:

Where the southern cliffs meet the sea lies a cave. Within the cave lies a spirit. The opposite of the vampire, it helps to form new life. The Soul Shaper. Constantly at odds with Vehrin, the Soul Shaper dwells alone, providing constant energy and life to both the spirit and mortal worlds. Only one knew of this spirit. Only one could help to stop the evil of Vehrin.

Tunnelling through the earth slowly, the Lion-turtle pondered the great changes in the world. It had felt the warping of the spirit world with the opening of the spirit portals, an event that had not occurred for ten thousand years. It had only been a measly ten years old when this occurred; it had not grown much since then, although it could feel that the Emergence was not far off. This event was the greatest in a lion-turtle's life. Over a period of a few years, it would massively grow in size and gain the ability to grant bending as its ancestors had once done for bending.

This latest upset in the balance of the world was just as prominent as when Vaatu had been released. When the Tree of Time had been opened, a ripple had powered through the spirit world, waking the lion-turtle from a yearlong sleep. The events that had followed had not concerned the lion-turtle; the Avatar had the strength and willpower to fight an even fight and if she had lost, then balance would be restored, albeit balance in a ten thousand era of darkness.

Images of the memories flashed in the lion-turtle's mind as it tunnelled through the dark with webbed feet. Watching the spirits grow dark and attack one another, forms distorted and malign. Witnessing the effects of the human Kuvira as the forests roiled and shook intruders from their embrace, distrustful and injured. Feeling the effects of the Avatar and her female human companion as they wandered the Spirit World. Knowing the passing of the Avatar and the tension building in the Spirit World as the evil gathered strength. Never showing itself, the lion-turtle had remained hidden, a passive observer until it was large enough to bear the burden of the glory of its race.

Were it so easy. The lion-turtle felt a deep connection with the world around it as it constantly travelled and witnessing it in turmoil had not sat well with the great animal. Although there was not much it could do before the Emergence. Lion-turtles did not fight. Fighting was merely a way for humans and spirits to settle differences, to express the true heart without self-corruption. But maybe there was one thing it could do. Find the Soul Shaper.

The human in blue had inspired the lion-turtle in a way that the various spirits could not. They had met in—something hard hit the lion-turtle's head, making it stop burrowing for a moment. Focusing, it noticed a huge root in the earth, one it would not be able to break through. Digging down, it carefully edged around the root and continued on its way.

The waterbender had met the lion-turtle near to the spirit portals. Humans were frequent there, paying their respects to the spirits and sometimes, the lion-turtle liked to sit and watch them doing so. Observing humans and spirits co-operating made it feel warm inside, like its own chi was reacting to its emotions. Submerged beneath the earth, the lion-turtle had become part of the surroundings by the time the waterbender had emerged from the northern portal. It was clear he was not merely visiting and his manner was one of great anger and hurt. He had unknowingly walked towards the lion-turtle and had sat down on its back heavily, sighing angrily before beginning to cry.

This behaviour perplexed the lion-turtle. It had never learnt how to react to humans, as it had never known another of its kind to impart its knowledge upon it. Crying was not a good thing, it knew. Unsure of how to remove the crying human from its back, it had done the one thing it knew would definitely surprise the waterbender. It had surfaced.

The waterbender had definitely been surprised. Falling into the dirt, it had cowered as the lion-turtle reared, shaking the earth from itself. Realisation had crept across the human's face and the lion-turtle had quietly felt smug at the respect it was given, simply for being. "Great Lion-turtle! I did not know any of your kind still existed, let alone were around the portals! Please forgive me for the trespass upon your person," the human had said. The lion-turtle had not responded in words. It understood human speech but had never spoken it. It might be too difficult for it and the lion-turtle did not want to embarrass itself in front of a human. It had lightly tapped the human on the forehead with a sharp claw and had waited for a response. This seemed like the best thing to do, for some inexplicable reason.

The human had relaxed quickly. It spoke quite often and quickly, about varying things which seemed trivial to the lion-turtle. One who had seen all that it had was not concerned about a human arguing with another human over an issue regarding children or the inability to have them because of their gender. Human behaviour was strange. It was also strangely fascinating. Spirits were constantly changing but humans were different, every one of them. All unique, all incredibly full of unknown potential. Studying them up close further would be a good use of time before the Emergence occurred and the lion-turtle shouldered the mantle of the last of its kind.

"You're more than welcome to join me, of course. I plan to see everything this place has to offer," the human had said, eyes sparkling with wonder. The lion-turtle had bowed, sealing the start of their strange partnership.

The human had talked much on their journey. The lion-turtle often travelled below the surface yet still heard him, its hearing considerably stronger than any humans'. On the rare occasion the human required assistance with a spirit or other problem, the lion-turtle would surface and everything gave way to its eminence. The spirit world was unravelled before them, its secrets unfolding as they travelled. The ancient animal and the youthful human, travelling the spirit world as equals.

Their altercation with the new Avatar was not even the most exciting thing that had occurred. It was, however, probably the event that held the most importance. The new Avatar had emerged from the latest Spirit Portal in the Avatar State but had collapsed instantly. The lion-turtle had felt its power even whilst underground, actually alarmed at the sheer amount of spiritual energy radiating from that one human body. Raava was finally at full strength since Harmonic Convergence. The waterbender had needed to rest and so the lion-turtle had rested.

Upon waking, it had discovered that the humans had gone. The portal was still closed and the spirits were confused as to why they could not enter the mortal world. The lion-turtle had become slightly peeved; the waterbender had been good company but had decided to leave just when he found more humans? Surely not. It would have to find the waterbender and the Avatar, along with the Air Nomad human. If the Avatar was awake, locating him would be easy from the sheer power exuding from his emotionally wracked body.

It did not take long. When the lion-turtle needed to travel fast, it could cover huge distances rapidly. Its front legs drove it through the ground with ease, its eyes accustomed to the gloom below the surface. The lion-turtle heard the humans before it even reached them and slowed so that the ground would not shake with its entrance. The waterbender was with the other two humans and appeared worried. The lion-turtle did not surface but listened to their conversation intently. The spirit Vehrin was wreaking destruction in both worlds and the Avatar and his human allies were planning on stopping it. But to do so, they would need Raava's power, which the Avatar could clearly not control. Although, if the Avatar was of both true mind and heart, he could potentially whether the storm that was yet to come.

It was this realisation that set the lion-turtle on its path. To defeat Vehrin, the Avatar must seek the help of its polar opposite. But such a powerful spirit might not even listen to the Avatar and so the last remaining lion-turtle would seek it out first, so that it could ponder its decision before it was too late. If it lent its power to the Avatar, then the human would be unstoppable and balance could be restored. Only if the human was not corrupted, however. Humans enjoyed power far too much to give it back so willingly.

Not far to travel now. The ground was crisscrossed with roots and water, making the lion-turtle dive deeper to avoid them. This was proof that, even if the world is damaged and out of balance, it still continues to spawn new life, to persevere even in the darkest of times. Even if the humans destroyed their world, it would still exist in the form of the tiniest seed. If Vehrin continued, however, all living things would eventually succumb.

The lion-turtle considered what it had to lose if the spirit was allowed to continue. Other than its own soul, the waterbender would surely die too. Other than that, there was not much else specifically that the lion-turtle was emotionally connected to. That was good. Distance was preferable for one such as itself. Although it would be sad if the human died. Even if he did continue to name it 'Whiri'. The lion-turtle did not yet have a name. That was the right of their kind that had finished the Emergence.

The ground suddenly gave way, prompting the lion-turtle to stop quickly. Its head and front paws were hanging through a hole into a wide, grey cave made of stone. Backing up slightly, the lion-turtle observed the inside of the cave, which it had not expected to come upon so soon. It was dark, lit only by a faint glow further below. Resigning itself to a heavy landing, the lion-turtle threw itself from the hole and crashed into the earth below, sending dust billowing into the air. The light pulsed quickly as if in alarm, sending shadows flying across the walls of the cave.

The lion-turtle clambered to its feet carefully. No damage was done except to its dignity; it was a creature of the earth, not of the air. It did not fly and would never do so again.

"Ancient One. Why are you here?" a voice asked cautiously. It was high pitched and feminine, pure sounding and made the lion-turtle automatically feel more relaxed. A spirit floated round a corner of the cave slowly, feet brushing the floor barely, glowing intensely. A human would not be able to distinguish its form but the lion-turtle saw through the guise.

The lion-turtle gazed upon the Soul Shaper with huge eyes and realised that an explanation was in order for the rather rude trespass.

"…..Vehrin," it said, uttering its first word in a low, subsonic grumbling tone. Speaking was not easy for it; its mouth was not exactly made for human speech.

The Soul Shaper elegantly placed four hands together in a peaceful manner. Her pointed ears twitched ever so slightly as she considered her foe.

"Vehrin is released. He has been collecting strength but I have not felt him. This is news. Thank you, Ancient One. I will see him imprisoned once more," she said, turning and floating away.

The lion-turtle growled lowly. One more attempt at a word. A creature as ancient as itself should be living history, not speaking about it.

The spirit turned as the lion-turtle uttered another word to explain the entire situation occurred outside of the isolated Cave, "…..Avatar."

The Soul Shaper cocked its head to one side in curiosity. "Ah. The Avatar is returned and comes seeking my assistance. I do not like the Avatar, Ancient One. Not after what a past life of his once tried to force me to do. But to stop Vehrin, I shall listen to what the human has to say. And after, Ancient One, I shall deal no more with the Avatar."

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><p>((This was a fun chapter to write, despite being a short one, as it looks into the mind of a younger lion-turtle, one not quite so wise and prideful but already starting to find its way. They're such mysterious creatures and so trying to write the character of one was a good challenge so hope you enjoy!))<p> 


	13. Some Good News

((Sorry for the delay, been extremely busy lately! Not had a ton of time to write this but i'll definitely make time for the final chapters, which will be coming soon!))

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><p><span>Some Good News:<span>

The group had been walking for a whole day before they came across another river. Running out of water had been their main worry over the last twenty-four hours but that was now solved. The remaining issues of Vehrin and the Red Lotus, however, hung heavy over their heads.

Jinora had been unable to locate the spirit. Her astral projection had apparently been almost perfectly accurate in the past and her disappointment was mixed deep with her frustration. Her temper was close to boiling point but both Jahn and Anik were less stressed. Admittedly, Jahn felt the pressure and did not want to fail, lest the world be thrown into chaos. He was taking every problem as it arose, dwelling on the things he could change, not that which he couldn't. The one thing he refused to deal with, however, was his mother's death.

Anik was loving it. He'd met two new friends who were deep in trouble. What better way to travel than solving a world-ending problem with the Avatar? Sure, having no water had sucked for the waterbender, but now they'd come across the river, they were alright again. The mood could be lighter but chasing an evil spirit wasn't exactly all fun and games, he guessed. Although he was under the nagging impression that something had happened before all this.

"So what happened before all this?" he asked bluntly with a smile on his face.

Jinora tensed slightly, looking sideways at Jahn.

The Avatar sighed. "My mother was killed by a group called the Red Lotus. They've taken over Republic City and captured Jinora's family." Saying out loud was even more painful than thinking about it over and over in his mind.

Anik gasped slightly. "The Red Lotus? Are you sure it was them?"

Jahn looked at the waterbender incredulously. "Erm, hello? Nothing about my mother? Seriously?"

"Yeah, bit cold there Anik," quipped Jinora.

Anik frowned. "I'm sorry to hear about that but if it was truly the Red Lotus, then I'm afraid you don't have much of a chance at stopping them. They number into the hundreds now."

The Avatar's eyes narrowed. Fearing the worst, he braced himself in case he needed to attack the waterbender. "And how would you know that?" he asked cautiously.

"My…ex-partner's sister joined the Red Lotus a few years ago. She had some big plans that he didn't agree with and so she abandoned the family. Not that it was a huge loss; she'd lived with her husband in the Fire Nation for years before that. Once they separated, she came back to the Northern Water Tribe and tried to radicalise us all. She took a number of waterbenders with her when she left and even a few airbenders that were stationed there. "

"That explains why some of the Red Lotus could airbend then. I'm ashamed that some of my nation became involved with that group," Jinora said sadly. Jahn put his arm around her and gave her a quick squeeze of encouragement, smiling sympathetically.

Anik looked upset. "I'm just sad she lost her way. She was always quite a fiery young woman growing up; her mother was a firebender but her father was from the Tribe."

Jahn stooped to fill up his waterskin from the river. "That's a shame. Still, they've been a powerful force ever since Avatar Aang. Korra had a lot of difficulty with them when she was alive."

Jinora sniffed. "You don't have to tell me. I was there to help stop Zaheer, remember?"

It was a strange thing to recount what was history to Jahn but Jinora was actually apart of those events. He had to shake himself to remember that Korra's time as the Avatar had not actually been that long ago at all.

Anik shook his head. "Well, one problem at a time. We need to stop this spirit first and then kick the Red Lotus outta Republic City after, right?" he said, perking up slightly.

Jahn smiled for the first time in a while. "Yeah. One potentially world-ending disaster at a time. All in a day's work for the Avatar….apparently," he chuckled ruefully. Standing, he took a long drink and sighed happily. Spirit water was the best.

"Hey! Don't drink from my river!"

Looking around, the group noticed a small, frog-like spirit submerged in the water. Shaking a webbed foot angrily, it did not move but continued to glower at them from the river.

"Oh, sorry! We've already got some water now anyway so we'll just be on our way…" Jahn said, backing away slowly, a slight grin on his face. He was realising that, as the Avatar, he could get away with quite a lot of spirit mischief.

Not this time. The frog-spirit hopped from the river and landed in front of him. It inhaled and inflated itself, growing larger and larger until it was fully the size of Jahn. "Just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean you can get away with breaking the rules!" it said in an extremely high pitched, squeaky voice. As it spoke, it began to deflate and Anik began to laugh.

The spirit turned and hopped angrily towards him. "Just three humans breaking the rules. Unless you say otherwise! Do you have a spirit to vouch for you?" it said, adopting a lawyer-like persona.

The ground began to shake and a few yards away, it burst upwards as the lion-turtle surfaced. Shaking the earth from itself, it turned its baleful eyes on the frog-spirit, which rapidly deflated and backed away slowly. "Ah, Ancient One. I-uh, was looking after your humans. Don't eat me!" it squeaked and leapt back into the river.

Still laughing, Anik went to embrace the lion-turtle. "Whiri! Where've you been buddy?"

The lion-turtle looked slightly disgruntled as Anik hugged its huge shell but turned to look at Jahn. "Avatar," it said respectfully.

Jahn was equally awed. The other two had mentioned the creature before but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. "Ancient One," he replied, bowing.

"Met. Spirit. South," it mumbled. It had practised the human words on the return journey but had not managed much practice; the humans had not actually been too far from the Soul Shaper's cave.

Jahn's eyes widened. Looking at Anik and Jinora, he was surprised when they both shrugged, both looking equally as shocked as he was.

"Help. Defeat. Vehrin," the lion-turtle said finally. Its eyes were locked on Jahn's and made him feel tiny. They were vast and sincere and Jahn then knew that it was aware of a way to help him.

"South? Can you lead the way?" he asked the lion-turtle. With the creature guiding the way, no spirit would bother them and they would quickly find their destination, what with the lion-turtle's knowledge and all of their bending covering all four elements.

The lion-turtle nodded. Digging downwards, it quickly disappeared within the earth and there was no sign of it.

"Well that's helpful Whiri! Can't see you!" Anik said loudly, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

Jinora patted Jahn on the shoulder. "Use your earthbending to feel where it is. Seismic sense. Toph was brilliant at it when she was around."

Jahn nodded and slammed a foot into the grass. Sending waves through the earth, he detected the lion-turtle burrowing away. Smiling, he pointed in the direction and the three set off after the ancient animal.

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><p>"Down there? Really?" Anik asked, looking uneasy. Peering over the edge of the cliff, he looked as though he was about to be thoroughly ill.<p>

"Scared of heights?" Jinora said smugly. She had already flown down to confirm the existence of a small cave at the foot of the cliff and had only just landed.

Jahn shrugged. "The lion-turtle has gone further down, I can only just feel it. There's definitely a large cave down there. Reckon we should go for it?"

"Not if I have to go over that cliff," Anik said, shaking his head.

Jahn winked at Jinora, who smiled. Anik looked between them, panic on his face. "Oh no. No. Ypu're not flying me down, you're not—" he protested.

Jahn kicked the ground hard and the earth around them plummeted downwards. Continuing to pound the earth with the sole of his foot, Jahn also bent the earth above them so that it did not collapse on them and bury them alive. It was worth the effort just for Anik's reaction; screaming all the while, his usual fabulous persona dropped to reveal a rather hilarious interior.

They burst through into the cave and fell towards the floor. Jahn waited for the right moment and then stomped on one side of the rocky slab they were falling on. It span sideways and Jahn pushed off, grabbing Anik as he did so. They shot sideways and landed on a smoothed portion of the cave, sliding heavily until the came to a stop. Standing, Jahn laughed at how smoothly that had gone, despite almost falling to their deaths. Anik remained curled in a ball, eyes wide.

"Well that was fairly pointless. Could have taken the front door like I did," Jinora said with a raised eyebrow. She pointed behind her, where a bright light illuminated the cave entrance.

The lion-turtle watched them all with careful eyes. It stood in a narrower section of the cave towards the back, blocking it from view. Once they approached, it moved towards them, revealing the spirit that had been hiding behind the creature.

Floating forward, the Soul Shaper inclined its head. "Greetings to you again, Avatar. You come seeking my help. I am the Soul Shaper and I have the power that you need to defeat Vehrin."

There was a silence.

"Great. Some good news for once," Anik said shakily.


	14. Eyes of Gold

((Over 1500 views! Thank you all so much! Another loop-back chapter, hope you enjoy!))

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><p><span>Eyes of Gold:<br>

"This world is vast and wonderful. It creates life and contains the most amazing sights. It provides joy and love and peace."

"Tsk. All things must come to an end. I am that end."

"Why do you seek to destroy what I build? Answer me this, after all these centuries."

"I…need their life. Their memories. Their souls."

"What for?"

"The hunger is neverending. Their memories distract…"

"Ah, you poor soul. You take their memories so that you can prevent yourself. I understand. And I pity."

A hiss. "Pity? We do not want your pity. We want to feast. Feast on all the tiny souls. And then the greatest, Raavu and Vaatu, so tasty."

"No, Vehrin. You must cease or you will be destroyed. We have always been at conflict, in one way or another. You perform a necessary task but your recent desire to consume all has corrupted the balance of our world."

"Balance? Balance the souls, so tasty sweet, take their memories and their flesh and become one with the world."

"…how many voices do you have in that head? How many memories that have been stolen from others? They're driving you to this insanity."

"Hundreds of voices, screaming in the dark. They want the end, but they shall…endure."

"You take their memories slowly, feeding like a parasite. You take their souls when they perish, as humans and spirits both do. Let them pass on, Vehrin. Stop your torment."

"Give back the souls? Never! Free as a bird, as a fly, as a spirit. Free to take all the souls."

"…then I am sorry, Vehrin. Your pestilence has taken too many lives. Even the Avatar fell to your corruption. This one shall not. He is protected."

The bat head swivelled. "You protect? You create, not save. Let this one go, Shaper."

"No, Eater. I shall not. I am sorry. Truly. I am sorry," the Soul Shaper said sadly.

Vehrin spread its wings wide. "The memories, the essence, are mine."

"Not for long," Jahn shouted, springing into action.

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><p>The story of Vehrin was one of sadness. Jahn felt a profound sense of loss as the Soul Shaper explained why the spirit had begun its reign of terror.<p>

The Soul Shaper herself was one of the most interesting spirits Jahn had seen on his journey. She had originally been a mere silhouette, one glowing an intense gold that radiated joy. It was as pure a form as any spirit could achieve, but she had quickly chosen a guise to hide herself. The one she had picked was unfamiliar to Jahn; a young woman with brunette hair and dressed in water tribe garb.

Vehrin was originally as she was. A silhouette who could change form at will, the Soul Stealer had balanced out her work by taking the ill and doomed souls and passing them along to whatever force reincarnated them. Greed had overcome the spirit, however, taking a little from each soul; a memory, a feeling, a sliver of personality. This had increased until Vehrin stole more. Physical body parts, full lives, entire souls. All were taken by the Soul Eater. Why it had increased its rampant destruction as of late, the Soul Shaper did not know.

"I do, however, intend to discover that reason," the Soul Shaper concluded. "My estimation is that it simply cannot handle the sheer amount of voices in its head. Imagine, Avatar, all of your past lives talking at once, all of the time. Too much for any human or indeed, any spirit, to handle."

Jahn kept his eyes locked on the floor. Before he said anything, he ruffled his hair and wiped the exhaustion from his face. "I get you. Although the only Avatar I can speak to is Korra. The others are lost to me."

The Soul Shaper looked at Jahn with pity. "Ah, the Dark Avatar's work. I felt their souls vanish, as I do with all I help to create. No wonder you do not recognise this face. Kuruk certainly would have. I would dearly wish to speak to him again, to explain the hurt that he caused when he was last here. His vengeance for Koh was great indeed."

Jinora clearly understood all that the spirit had said but neither Jahn nor Anik had any idea. The names were familiar, but other than that, Jahn did not understand.

"So erm, great spirit, how exactly will you help us?" Anik asked, rather sheepishly. He'd tied his silvery hair back into a ponytail in traditional water tribe fashion but kept messing with it as though nervous.

"I was getting there, oh impatient one," the Soul Shaper said with a slight smile. "You were blessed by the Moon Spirit. I requested that she assist in supplying your soul with energy and she was most welcome."

Anik gasped slightly. His eyes welled up and he clutched his hands to his heart. "You spoke with Yue?" he said in wonder.

"Yue, Tui, names are trivial."

Jinora shook her head. "Does this mean that you create life? Are you where we all come from?"

The Soul Shaper cocked her head to one side and brushed a single hair from her face. "No. I merely create the energy that souls need to exist. The power you feel when you airbend. That was created by I."

Jahn frowned. "So you create energy and Vehrin feeds from it. If you try to fight it, you'll just be drained like everything else."

The Soul Shaper inclined its head slowly. "Yes. I shall confront Vehrin but you must physically stop it. Raava's power is still great; you personally have not been affected….yet."

Jahn stood up, prompting the lion-turtle to do so too. It heaved itself to its four great legs and rolled its huge front shoulders. "Time," it said in its deep, booming voice.

"How do we get it here? It's not like a huge bat spirit is just hanging around outside," Anik pointed out.

Jinora looked up. She had been staring at the floor, her chest filling with hope that she would soon see her family once more. "Bait. We promise it unlimited energy. And then we put an end to this."

Jahn nodded. "We'll do it on the cliff above. Although I'm not sure I'm strong enough. Last time we met, it was only thanks to Korra that I managed to drive it away."

The Soul Shaper flickered for a second but resumed her guise almost immediately. Smiling, she touched her two fingers to her forehead. "That, Avatar, is where I shall come in. I have already crafted an energy pulse similar to a soul's signature. Vehrin will be here soon, now that it knows where I am. Get ready Avatar."

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><p>"So, do you think I could get a drink of water? It's a bit warm in these shackles."<p>

"Shut up. Thought you firebenders liked warmth anyway?"

Zukoh laughed weakly. "Well, when it suits."

The Red Lotus member peered through the door and observed the man chained to the wall. He was dressed only in a loincloth and the tiny cell must be rather hot, given how warm it was even standing outside it.

"Fine. I'll be back in a minute. Don't try anything; Miss Scarlett will be here to visit you again soon," said the guard, disappearing from view.

Zukoh inhaled deeply. His back was covered in burns, all half healed. 'Miss Scarlett' was not a pleasant host, it must be said. She was determined to find out all his secrets. He was determined not to give her the satisfaction.

He wouldn't have much time. Over the last few days, he'd slowly begun work on the chains holding him to the wall. Bit by bit, he weakened them with the teeniest of flames. No wonder it was so warm in here; he was making it so.

It would have to be now. He was so weak, but if he didn't make his move soon, he wouldn't have the energy to ever escape.

"Arrrrgh!" he yelled, his hands bursting into flames. The shackles began to glow with the intense heat but did not snap. Zukoh focused, his face screwed up in concentration. Sweat dripped down his body but he did not falter. The fires shuddered and began to change colour, glowing iridescently until they were bright white. He could hear movement outside the cell but he didn't stop in case they prevented his plan.

The right chain snapped, showering the wall with molten metal. His arm fell free, the fire extinguished immediately. His left wrist, however, was still bound, so he turned his head to focus on it.

The lock on the door to the cell clicked and the door flew open. The guard ran in holding a bowl of water but didn't have time to react. Zukoh immediately fired a blast of fire at the man, sending him sprawling backwards. More guards filled the doorway but seemed hesitant to actually enter. Zukoh inhaled and extended his palm in a downwards motion; a line of fire spread and covered the entire doorway in flames.

A figure stepped through the fire, unsinged and angry. Scarlett stood, her face wrathful, as she considered her husband, still partially chained but clearly attempting to break out. His pain would be even greater this time due to his insubordination. Raising her right leg, she kicked powerfully. The burst of fire was blue, superheated as a result of her rage.

Zukoh had a second to react. His choice in action was one he immediately regretted but could not change once he had begun. Sweeping his free arm in a zigzag pattern, he swiftly separated the energies and extended his arm sharply. The jagged line of lightning arced through the air, smashing the fire into wisps and continued onwards, striking Scarlett in the upper leg. She was lifted from her feet and twirled horizontally through the air, crashing into the other guards heavily.

The pain Zukoh felt was unimaginable. He knew that lightning was dangerous and not controlling it properly could kill him. His arm felt as though it was being electrocuted and his stomach churned as the chi backfired. After a moment, it settled, but his arm continued to hurt. Even worse, he was still chained to the wall and was too exhausted to free himself. Sighing, he hung there.

A crash made him open his eyes. It seemed to have come from a number of cells down. He could hear voices but could not identify them. A face finally appeared around the corner but did not seem to be Red Lotus. It was dirty and ragged, as he was. Another prisoner.

"Was that you? With the lightning? It hit the metal and short-circuited all the locks on the doors. I knew modern technology wasn't so good, should have stuck with good old fashioned keys," the man chuckled. Entering the cell, he looked closely at the chain on Zukoh's wrist.

"Hmm. We were all allowed to be free. Relatively speaking; we were still in a cell a few down from this did you do to earn this?"

Zukoh coughed. "Married the bitch that staged all this."

The other man looked startled. "Oh! Well, erm, unlucky? Anyway, try and lean away. I'll break that chain; looks like you've already weakened it as much as you can!"

Standing back, the man was still for a second before jumping into the air and slicing down with his right arm. A blade of air slashed through the air, almost too quick to see, and snapped the remaining chains. Zukoh fell heavily to all fours but raised his head, looking at the newcomer with the golden eyes so common in the Fire Nation royal family. "Th…thank you. You're an airbender. Do you know Tenzin?"

The other man lifted Zukoh up and supported him with one arm. "That old grump? Yeah, he's my father-in-law. I married his daughter Jinora. Anyway…" he murmured. Raising his voice, he shouted to somebody outside the cell. "Auri! Find us a way outta here! I've got some wounded guy here. We need to get him to safety."

Zukoh smiled weakly. "You're a good man."

Kai smiled back. "Nah. It's just what us Airbenders do. Helping out wherever we can. Let's get outta here."

* * *

><p>The spirits were restless. They coiled around the Air Temple in droves, eager to see balance restored. The Red Lotus were bad, yes, but something else was driving them to battle. A force which threatened them all and made them forget their peaceful ways. Not since Vaatu had controlled them all had the spirits been this ready to attack humans.<p>

Aana was frightened. She was also confused. The spirits had appeared from nowhere…or had they been here all along? Her memories were muddled. Leemi was here but she couldn't remember meeting the sky bison. Shaking her head, she hoped this cloud in her mind would pass soon.

There was a squeaking of the floorboards as Leemi rolled over. She kept one big eye on Aana, aware of her distress. Above, the great dragon spirit Qi-lóng was roaring at the sky, warning the city of the dangers to come. She knew that if the spirits fought, it would totally ruin the harmony that existed between the spirits and humans since Korra opened the…something. What was it? Erm…

Maybe she should meditate on it. Assuming the position, she inhaled and closed her eyes. Transitioning into the spirit world was easy; she'd done it before with her mother but always under her supervision. She had no idea where she'd come out now.

Clearing her mind was not easy with all that was going on. She felt the presence of all the spirits around, all of them. In all shapes and sizes, she connected with them; felt their distress, their fear and their anger. More than this, however, she detected another connection. One that was weak but was attached to them all. It seemed to be coming from nowhere. Maybe it was in the spirit world?

It was also attached to her. Stronger than the others, she felt its pull on her energy. Every minute, she felt just a tiny bit weaker. Focusing on this leeching sensation, she narrowed her mind to a single point and followed it back to its owner. The sensation was curious, like flying on her glider but so much faster, so fast that she felt herself stretch with the sheer speed.

Aana opened her eyes. The fauna signalled the success of her venture. She was in the Spirit World. At least, her spirit was. Looking around, she did not understand where she was. It was a forest of some kind but it seemed dark, as though the trees themselves were malevolent. It made her feel worried but also sad that corruption could affect all things, even the most ancient of living things.

A noise alerted her to the culprit's presence. It stalked from out of the dark on twisted insect legs, bouncing slightly with every step. The spirit scared her, but she waited for it to approach. In the spirit world, not everything was as it seemed. Maybe it would help her!

"Hi there! Sorry, I'm a bit lost. I came here looking for something that was making me poorly in the mortal world. Could you help me find it?" she asked politely.

The spirit stopped. It appraised her through milky white eyes and flickered a snake tongue through its tiny, needle like teeth. "Lost? You…feed. I feed. The tasty child."

Backing away, Aana was alarmed. "Excuse me? No, I'm not hungry. Could you take me to—"

The spirit unfurled two enormous wings, covering her in even greater shadow. "Take you? Feed. Take you and feed, yes. You're with me now Airbender. Your spirit is MINE!"

Launching into the air, Vehrin grabbed Aana, who screamed and punched at its clawed feet. The Soul Eater did not drop her but continued to ascend, climbing above the trees and soaring away. The final sound that the Parai Forest heard was the fading scream of the stolen child.

* * *

><p>"So what's the plan? Vehrin gets here, bit of professional bending, trap the weirdo, then what?" Anik asked, pulling a face. A light breeze ruffled his silver hair, his ponytail bobbing slightly in the wind. The sea breeze was reassuring for the waterbender. At least there was water nearby, should they need it.<p>

Jahn opened his mouth but couldn't answer. "Er…"

"Once the Avatar contains Vehrin," the Soul Shaper interrupted, "I shall strip him of his powers and we can return him to his imprisonment."

"And where would that be?" Jinora asked, dusting off her outfit lazily.

The Soul Shaper looked at the Airbender with wide, innocent eyes. "A place that no human should know of. If it was commonplace, it would be easy to free him once more. All you need to know is that the place limits Vehrin's power so that he cannot do this again."

Jahn considered this. "Bet it's the Tree of Time."

"It isn't. Stop guessing."

"Fog of Lost Souls?" Jinora asked.

"No. Stop guessing."

Anik squinted in thought. "Is it—"

"No! Enough of this. Vehrin shall be here soon. Avatar, what is your plan of containment?"

"Pretty much what Anik said. Hopefully I can stop it from flying away, so we probably need to take out its wings. Anik, you've got your ice. Maybe freeze it? If not, just try and drag it down to a lower level. Jinora, you'll need to distract it and generally block it from flying off. Any means necessary. It needs to stay here so we can bring it down. I'll use my earthbending when it hits the ground to trap it," directed Jahn. The others nodded, stretching and flexing, ready for the fight to come.

Jahn turned to the spirit. "Great Spirit, you will need to flee once Vehrin arrives. If it starts to feed on your energy, it will become too powerful, but if it arrives and doesn't see you then it may just flee immediately. We have to time this perfectly."

The Soul Shaper inclined its head. "As you say, Avatar. If the worst should occur, ask for my help and I shall lend you my vast energies."

Jahn nodded, smiling. At last, this would end. How the spirit was involved with the Red Lotus was something he was keen to find out. Justice would soon be his. For Korra. For Saraa.

"I-uh, just wanted to say to you both. Thank you. I know this is a terrible situation but I've never had the chance to be…well, this free. Travelling the spirit world. It's been dangerous but I've always been stuck someplace; Taku, the compound…" he trailed off, whilst Anik put a reassuring hand on his shoulder with a smile. Jahn returned the smile and looked at Jinora as he continued to speak, "I know this hasn't been easy on you but I never got chance to thank you. You didn't like me but you stuck by me, even after I hurt you by the portal. I was so upset, so hurt, but you helped me. Both of you."

Jinora looked at the floor and then slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "Jahn. I'm sorry. I treated you terribly because I didn't want living proof that Korra was gone. You've suffered so much lately and I haven't made that easier. I just miss my family and I'm scared for my daughter. But helping you was the only decent thing to do," she said, smiling but clearly on the verge of tears. She was such a strong character but Jahn had to remind himself that she was still very much Tenzin's little girl.

Jahn looked up as a shadow passed over them. His face settled into stony resolve. "You helped me," he repeated. "Now it's my turn."

They all braced themselves as Vehrin landed, its huge wings folding in awkwardly as it turned to face them. The bat head was just as gruesome as before but the addition of a snake's tongue was new. It stood quietly, facing them, until the Soul Shaper stepped forward. Vehrin rustled slightly, as if anticipating a meal.

"Vehrin. You've overstepped your purpose. You should still be imprisoned."

"Tsk. The world is too tasty to stay there. Too much to eat."

"You think this world exists only to feed you? Misguided spirit. This world is vast and wonderful. It creates life and contains the most amazing sights. It provides joy and love and peace…"


	15. Eyes of Silver

((Action time! A few in-jokes for fans of the series, including a reference to something Bryke almost added...))

* * *

><p><span>Eyes of Silver:<span>

Jahn sprinted and flipped forward, fire hurtling towards the spirit. It sidestepped with ease and immediately unfurled its wings, ready to take off. A moment's indecision struck Vehrin; the Soul Shaper was right there, ready to be consumed. If it fled now, it might not be able to find it aga-

A spinning whip of water smashed into Vehrin's side, bringing it to a hardened knee. Its head swivelled around fully to witness Anik stood by the edge of the cliff, water rising behind him from the ocean below. His hands were fluid in front of him; they twisted and twirled and the torrent of water surged towards Vehrin. It attempted to take off but the water coiled around one leg, preventing it from flying any higher.

Turning in mid-air, Vehrin hissed as it noticed Jinora mere feet away. Having flown into the air, she had soared higher to gain an advantage and her freefall dive had made her crash into the spirit. She tackled it in the air around the human midriff, breaking the water whip but sending both hurtling into the ground.

"Argh!" she yelled as Vehrin grabbed her head with one huge clawed and threw her off itself. Jinora landed heavily and did not move. Climbing to its feet, Vehrin roared at the collection of humans before it in a tone unlike its previous hissing tone. Shaking its head as though in pain, it looked up at Jahn and he was surprised to see its bat face slacken.

"Please, help us!" said the voice, strangely human.

Jahn paused for a second. "What? Is this a trick?"

"No! I'm the human he took when he…ah! Too strong! Free us! Please!" screamed the voice in agony before Vehrin roared once more and shook itself. When it looked up once more, malice had returned to the eyes and Jahn knew that the spirit was once more in control.

"All those souls Vehrin! All those souls just screaming to get out! You can't control them, can you?" he shouted at the spirit, which hissed and charged.

Powering forward, the Soul Eater lunged at Jahn, who dived to the side, rolling as he landed. Vehrin immediately turned and sliced down, his claws burying into the ground as Jahn dodged again. A number of ice shards clattered against the spirit's back, shattering into tiny fragments but Vehrin was unfazed. It span and punched the air; a strong gust of wind carved along the grass and struck Anik in the legs. His legs were kicked out from under him and he crashed into the ground with an "oof."

"It can airbend! Watch out!" Jahn yelled to the others. He glanced Jinora climbing to her feet from the side; relief spread through his chest. He thought she'd been out but he'd need her help to distract the spirit.

A clawed hand caught him by the shoulder and he fell back. Vehrin made the most of the weakness and pounced, clutching Jahn to the ground with both hands. White eyes looked into blue ones, malice against hope. The snake tongue flickered obscenely, tasting the scent of Jahn's fear. It lowered, preparing to feast on the soul of the Avatar…

….Anik tackled the spirit from the side, sending both rolling over each other in a desperate attempt to buy Jahn time. The Avatar clambered up to his feet and ran to assist his friend. Anik was likewise pinned but stared at the bat head with fearless abandon. "Ugly beast, aren't you?" he spat, struggling against the spirit's hold.

Vehrin hissed and struck Anik solidly across the face. The waterbender immediately went limp, his eyes rolling back into his head. Vehrin lifted him effortlessly and dropped him, watching as Anik crumpled on the ground, totally unconscious.

"No!" Jinora shouted loudly. She span around swiftly, slicing the air as she bent the wind to her will. Vehrin staggered towards her but was buffeted by the howling gale. It covered its eyes against the sheer force of the air and took a few weak steps forward.

"Jahn, now!" Jinora yelled.

* * *

><p>"Which way!?" Auri shouted, her face confused. The passageways all seemed the same in this compound.<p>

"To…the left…" Zukoh muttered weakly, holding up a shaking arm to point the way. Part of his mind found it amusing that the Red Lotus had kept them imprisoned in his own compound. Had they really been so naïve to think he would not escape?

Kai grunted as he helped support the firebender down the corridor. Zukoh was becoming weaker with every second and it would be difficult to carry him the entire way.

Auri checked that the way was clear and beckoned for them to hurry. As well as Zukoh, at least ten others were escaping with them, several of which were White Lotus members.

"Hey! Stop there!" a guard yelling, running round a corner. Auri immediately jumped forward and kicked with both feet, pushing the guard back with a blast of air. He skidded to the end of the corridor and his head impacted on the metal wall. "Ow!" he grunted.

"Quickly!" Auri yelled, motioning for the others to hurry past her. The group shuffled past, eager to be out of the metal compound and out in the metaphorically fresh air of Republic City.

Kai and Zukoh were the last to pass her. She sighed and slipped an arm under Zukoh's injured arm, ignoring his injured protests. Together, she and Kai lifted him and helped support him as they made their way to the metal elevator that took them to the shop above. It was quite large and so all of them managed to fit inside but before they could press the button, they heard shouting behind them.

Zukoh watched as plumes of fire roared into the air. A figure leapt onto a nearby roof and span off, becoming a spinning wheel of fire that descended into a group of Red Lotus guards. Recognising the signature move, he started slightly, making Kai pause with his finger on the button. "You know her?"

The Grand Master nodded slowly. "Sadly. We need….to wait."

The group stood for a moment, anxious to be ascending. One of the White Lotus at the back began to nudge and shuffle with nerves and finally cracked. "Press it! We need to go now!"

Zukoh straightened, ignoring the pain from his back which flared up like a rearing snake. "You stay where you are. She…comes with us."

The White Lotus seemed to shrink slightly, backing away in submission. It looked as though the others were about to agree with him, however, when the figure came into sight once more. Running between two metal houses, she continuously threw fireballs at her pursuers which kept them at bay. Sprinting, she waved one hand and began to shout, "Press it already!"

Kai obliged. He hit the button but the elevator did not move. Pressing it repeatedly, he looked worriedly at Auri. "Why's it not flying up!?"

Zukoh coughed and pointed. "The generator. It needs power."

"Argh!" Kai said, frustrated. He ran a hand through his messy hair as he thought quickly.

The figure had reached them. Panting, Akirai bent over and gasped for air. The Red Lotus were not far behind but she had managed to outpace them for a moment. "You…look like shit," she chuckled between breaths at Zukoh.

"You can talk. Felt better. We need to get out. Generator."

Akirai looked over at the side, where the huge machine sat quiet. "Ah. I getcha. Typical. Just because you're beaten up, I have to stay here and save all your asses."

Zukoh looked at his aunt sadly. "We can…come back."

Akirai shrugged. "Sod that Nephew. You get your ass up there to safety. I can deal with these piss poor excuses for benders," she said smugly. Her one good eye burned with energy and her lips curled in a confident grin.

The Grand Master looked at the floor and then up at Akirai. "Izumi. Would be proud."

His aunt's smile faded slightly and a quick look of emotion flickered across her face before the confidence returned. "Yeah whatever. She's dead now, I'm not. I intend to stay that way. This is what happens when you get set up with the Chief of Police. Mako was a wuss anyway. Tell him that from me. I'll see you later Nephew."

Turning, she took a few steps away before she faced the generator. Concentrating, she began to move her hands in a fluid motion. The area went dark as the lightning sparked between her hands. She continued to do this, building the energy until her hair began to stand on end and her skin fizzled with the energy inside. Opening her eye, she yelled as she thrust towards the generator. The lightning exploded forwards, striking the generator and immediately powering it up. It began to whir and splutter as the elevator began to rise.

Akirai remained where she stood, a conduit for the lightning which continued in a constant stream. Her face was alive with the sheer power of the bending and Zukoh smiled slightly as he watched his aunt. She had saved them. But there would be no saving her. The lightning would cripple the generator. This was a one way journey without a metalbending force to assist.

Indeed, the generator began to spark and shake as the lightning overwhelmed the system. The elevator began to rise quicker and Zukoh savoured the remaining glimpse of Akirai, firing lightning as the Red Lotus descended on her, before she and the compound vanished from view.

"...wait, she dated Mako?" Kai asked incredulously.

Zukoh simultaneously coughed and laughed. "Almost. Almost..."

* * *

><p>"Jahn, now!" Jinora yelled.<p>

The Avatar took a stance and twisted his right foot. The ground around Vehrin's right foot caved upwards, imprisoning the foot and half the leg. Twisting his body the other way, Jahn bent the ground around the other leg so that Vehrin was trapped. As he prepared to bend the rest of the ground around the spirit, the unexpected happened.

Vehrin flapped its huge wings twice and burst from its earthly constraints. Turning, it spread its wings and used Jinora's constant air torrent to accelerate towards Jahn at a frightening speed. It careered into him, kicking with two strong feet. They caught Jahn in the stomach, severely winding him and making him crash into the floor, struggling to breathe. Between gasps, he was faintly aware of Vehrin approaching from the side.

The spirit grabbed Jahn by the neck and lifted him clear off his feet. Staring each other in the eyes for a moment, Vehrin smiled maliciously as it struck the Avatar thrice in the chest. Before it could do so again, however, Jahn noticed a change come over its eyes. Another soul had surfaced for a split second.

"Jahn, honey. I'm so sorry. You can do this though, I believe in you…." said the woman's voice. Jahn's eyes widened in horror as his mother's voice spoke through the needle teeth.

Vehrin roared once more. "SILENCE!"

Jahn struggled to free himself from Vehrin's unrelenting grip, clawing at the hands desperately. Jinora was running in from the side but his vision was beginning to darken.

"STAY! Or I eat your daughter's soul!" Vehrin roared at Jinora, making her stop still in revulsion. "The most spiritual of all the living humans, so delectable. I shall finish her spirit if you do not cease this useless assault!"

Jinora considered these words in panic. "You…have Aana's spirit. Jahn, he has Aana. Please."

Choking, Jahn was dimly aware of the impact of these words. He was on the verge of giving up before he heard a voice in his mind. One of peace and battle, of water and fire. "Jahn. You can do this. For me," Korra whispered.

An overwhelming surge of energy overcame him and his eyes snapped open. So much was at stake here, for both the living and the deceased. He would not fail. He was the Avatar.

He lifted both of his legs and pressed them against Vehrin's torso. Focusing the image of heat in his mind, he willed the fire forth. It spluttered from his feet and immediately scorched Vehrin's chest, burning away the fur that covered it. The spirit howled in pain and threw Jahn aside like a ragdoll. He landed on the edge of the cliff but did not get chance to move away. Breathing came first.

The first gulp of air was intense. It filled his lungs and cleared his mind, brushing away the darkness with ease. The second was more normal and finally he could think clearly again. He felt the pain in his body and it took all of his inner strength to stand up tall.

"I…need help," he admitted. The burden of the Avatar was not his alone. He would never be alone again.

A blinding golden light flew through the air to end up at his side. The Soul Shaper had resumed her normal form and billowed with amazing golden light which pulsed with life. "Jahn. Take my energy," she said, holding out a shining, formless arm.

As soon as Jahn touched it, he felt the spirit's power. She enfused every cell in his body, filling him with amazing power. The combined temporary fusion of the Soul Shaper and Raava was incredible and almost ripped him apart. No human body could withstand this much power.

He marvelled at the renewal of his strength before coming to his senses. He had enough time to see a dark shape before him before Vehrin's foot collided with his face, kicking him backwards and off the cliff.

"Jahn, no!" Jinora screamed. Jahn had vanished off the cliff and Vehrin had turned, sadistic glee evident on its face. It pointed at Jinora and cocked its head to one side eerily. "Your daughter is next. I shall finish her off with all the…"

The spirit did not finish its sentence. It should not have been so victorious so quickly. The earth began to tremble and even Vehrin had trouble remaining standing. The air shook with vibrations, booming forth to signal the approach. A great silver light had erupted into the sky from the ocean and within it rose Jahn. His eyes were bright silver and his body was a dark gold, glowing intensely with the combined power of Raava and the Soul Shaper. He rose defiantly, hands clasped around a shining ball of cosmic energy as the Avatar State was unleashed in all of its power.

Vehrin hissed at the sight of the enhanced Avatar and took to the air. He attempted to fly directly away but Jahn held out a hand. The air before Vehrin descended and the spirit fell haphazardly. It landed on all fours and attempted to run but the ground before it cracked like an egg, revealing a huge fissure from which fire erupted. The wind became a howling circle around Vehrin which became tighter and tighter and a gigantic wave crashed against the cliff-face. It pounded against the rock, smashing it to pieces as the fissure continued to crack and spread.

Jahn's eyes wandered to Jinora and Anik, who both lay on the floor. Lifting one hand slowly, both of his friends rose into the air and hung there, unable to move but safe from the oncoming assault. Jinora watched Jahn with awe; his power excelled that of any Avatar before him. The power of the Soul Shaper had temporarily connected him with all of his past lives and all of Raava and her powers were open to him.

Vehrin screamed as the fire lashed at its body. Burned and wounded, it made to run to the ocean but the wave towered skywards, preventing the spirit from escaping. The fire roared equally as high; a wall of flames and a crushing wave prevented the spirit from escaping either way. Vehrin attempted to airbend the air ring away but it did not work; the howling winds merely circled tighter and tighter until they squeezed Vehrin tightly. His arms and wings were pinned to his body as he was lifted slowly into the air. The ground on which he had been stood buckled and popped and the lava coalesced into three huge pillars which began to close on the spirit. Vehrin struggled and screamed but could not escape as the pillars crashed in on it.

Jahn opened a fist to reveal his palm and the lava all shot up to create a dome above Vehrin. The spirit was still alive but badly injured; the bat head was mangled and the skin was blistered and damaged. The eyes were scorched but still raised to look at the Avatar.

"If…you…kill…no…more…mother."

Jahn slowly descended, stepping on invisible stairs as the air solidified under his feet. His eyes were not furious; they seemed to be resolutely aware and determined to complete this task. His voice echoed deeply; the voice of every Avatar and Raava herself sounded through the air. "I accept this. They wish to be free. I am their salvation."

The Avatar rose into the air once more and the elements raged onwards. The dome of lava connected with the vertical wave of water and the gigantic wall of fire and all began to tighten inwards. The dome of elements shrank on Vehrin, finally becoming a pure ball around the spirit. Jahn punched forwards with his right hand and the ball began to spin quickly. Around this elemental orb of fire, lava and water wrapped a stony exterior which covered it completely. Jahn considered the spinning ball of earth and thrust his hands down, sending it crashing into the ground. Raising it finally, the Avatar concentrated and an intricate pattern began to glow white on his chest.

"You wished for energy. You shall receive it," he said in his all-powerful voice. Arching backwards, the pattern burst into light and a huge beam of spiritual energy erupted from Jahn. Energybending the sheer amount of energy supplied to him, Jahn directed the beam at the orb, which instantly turned white hot as the beam collided with it. It grew bright and brighter, emitting a high-pitched whistling sound, until...

Too much. The explosion was considerable. The shockwave rippled along the ground and the entire cliff-face cracked and fell into the ocean, sending an enormous spray of water into the air. The sea itself shuddered at the sheer mass of rock that plunged into its icy depths. The orb itself had vanished, splintering into a mass of tiny fragments and fiery violence. Vehrin was gone, obliterated by the vast amount of energy that had it had absorbed within such a short time. The parasite had wanted more souls but could not feast on so much energy all at once.

Jahn slowly descended and Jinora and Anik descended with him. They touched ground softly on the new cliff-edge. It was still glowing red with the heat of the recent fissure but Jahn merely raised an arm. The seawater rose to engulf it and steam billowed into the sky as the lava hardened.

Jahn's body shook as the Soul Shaper left his body. His eyes, which were glowing so intensely, began to fade until his bright blue pupils shone forth. Unlike past times, he did not feel drained from the Avatar State and so stood there, in slight shock at his own actions. Perplexed as what to do, he scratched his head and took two steps forward before collapsing totally into the grass.

Jinora ran over and supported his head. His eyes had begun to glow under their sockets, which usually happened when an Avatar visited the spirit world. They were already there, however.

The glow did not last long. It faded and Jahn sighed as he opened his eyes. Blinking quickly, he noticed Jinora's relieved smile. "Are you ok? What happened then?"

Jahn smiled back. "I just spoke with Korra and Aang. They both said thanks."

Jinora gasped and a tear fell from her eye. They sat there for a moment, catching their breath, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.

The Avatar looked over at the cliff-edge and bit his lip as he bade farewell to his mother at last. "Goodbye..." he whispered.

"She'd be proud. In the end, you saved her. And you saved Aana. Thank you," Jinora said in a hushed voice and embraced him. Jahn clutched the Airbender tightly, struggling to hold on to his emotions. Eventually, a voice broke the silence, making the two jump apart.

"Hey guys? Where's Vehrin? Did I miss it?" Anik asked, rubbing his head.


	16. Tactical Misfire

Tactical Misfire:

The Red Lotus were in uproar. The enemy fleet had arrived and the battle for the city had begun. It was not exactly going to plan.

Their occupation of the city had been swift and resolute, striking hard and fast into the key districts and controlling the most influential figures in the city. Indeed, the President himself was a member of their Order. Keeping his bending secret had been difficult but the people had believed that Raiko's successor was an honourable man. It was a shame that Cho Tin-Hua was not an honourable man.

His rise to power had been a tricky one but he had finally defeated Raiko in the Republic City elections after making a big display of support for the non-benders of the city and promised to protect them from any attack. Even twenty years after Amon and seventeen after Kuvira, people were still worried about benders and their ability to create mass destruction.

Lying to them about his bending had been difficult. A native of the Earth Kingdom, he had grown up practising his earthbending until he joined the White Lotus. Disagreeing with their methods, he had defected to the Red Lotus after discovering a sleeper agent in the midst of their ranks. From there, their plan had grown.

Cho was not a strong man. He was short, squat and had strange, patchy hair. His skin was dark and his face was pudgy; a life sat at a desk instead of bending made one prone to chubbiness. His wife was even more so, but he had only married her to get the Zau family on his side. Their influence was considerable in the city. He even had trouble standing up to his mother-in-law. Then again, she was a truly terrifying force.

And so it was that he hid behind his desk when the knocking began on the door. Peeking out from behind it, he noticed a figure slip in and close it quietly behind it. The lights were off and the figure was covered in darkness. Nevertheless, he knew who it was.

"Ah, it's just you. I thought it might have been….family," he murmured with a shudder, emerging from the desk.

The figure sat down in a chair on the far side of the room, legs crossed over one another at the knee. "I'm afraid they'd most likely be a more welcome sight, what with the news I have for you, mister President…" the figure said in a dry tone, somewhat like a purr.

Cho sat himself on the edge of the desk, his legs dangling and his feet just brushing the floor. Why couldn't he have longer legs? He WAS the President after all!

"What's the matter? Do the Red Lotus need something? I've done as much as I can without giving away my position. The people still think I'm being held hostage here," he said pompously.

"Oh, you are."

Cho's smile faded quickly. "Wait, you mean…?"

The figure nodded, only just visible in the gloom. "Quite. The Order does not require your assistance now we have the city. We dislike such figures of authority."

Cho backed away slightly. He knew the Red Lotus aimed to free the world from oppression but he never considered that they'd remove him. He was too important to them for that!

"But I helped you take the city! I put your people into positions of power, helped them run business, totally become a part of the city!" he said, hands now in the air as a sign of peace.

The figure stood up slowly. "Very true," it said, slowly moving towards him. It pulled a knife from a sheath on its hip and began to twirl it slowly in the air. "I actually lied to you. I have three pieces of news for you. Do you want the good, the bad or the really bad news?"

Cho gulped, eyeing the knife carefully, which glinted in the thin sliver of moonlight that shone through the window. "Erm…I….the good news?"

"The good news, mister President, is that the key prisoners that Miss Scarlett wanted so carefully imprisoned have escaped. Furthermore, we can't find the Avatar as the spirit portal is still locked."

"That's…not good news. Is that not the bad news?"

"No, I'm quite sure," the figure said. It darted forward and slashed at Cho with careful precision. The President of Republic City did not even feel any pain as his body hit the ground, his eyes staring lifelessly ahead in the dark.

The figure whistled and two Red Lotus members entered the room. "I've just delivered the really bad news. The President died from fright at it. Please remove the body."

Wiping the knife on the back of the chair the figure had sat upon, it sheathed the weapon and rolled its neck.

"Oh, also, please get me that spirit mirror. I need to try and get that damned spirit to heel."

One of the Red Lotus looked up from dragging the body and straightened slowly. "I…uh…" she began to say, unsure of how to break the news. "The mirror is broken. It exploded on its own, nobody touched it."

The figure hissed between clenched teeth. "If that spirit has done something to break its bargain with us, I shall make it suffer. Vehrin is not the boss of us."

It turned and paced to the window. The city had been quiet, for a while. Now that the enemy had arrived, the fighting had begun once more with vehemence. This did not bother the figure. The fighting had continued long after the Red Lotus had taken control of the city but any attempts to fight them off had been quelled. The Red Lotus had seeded themselves into the city too well to be removed so easily. The newcomers would likewise be repelled.

"We need to find those escapees. Inform Scarlett that her failure to safeguard Zukoh will not be tolerated. Her confidence is now arrogance; she is not the leader of the Order of the Red Lotus, no matter what she thinks. You all answer to me. Now find Zukoh and those damned Airbenders and bring them to me."

* * *

><p>Tenzin was alive. Mercifully alive.<p>

Lin had indeed been cooped up in the Police Headquarters, along with a handful of officers that had not already been captured by the Red Lotus. Upon seeing Tenzin on his knees outside, however, she had reluctantly surrendered. Her feelings for the Airbender would never truly go away. In any event, fighting the Red Lotus would only get her officers injured and she was not prepared to risk their safety for no chance to success.

The Order had swarmed over the HQ, taking any remaining officers hostage and freeing any criminals currently locked in the cells. In their place, they threw any of the opposing citizens of Republic City into the cells, locking them in with gleeful delight. They were the law around here now.

Tenzin was locked in one such cell. They had beaten him badly due to his actions assisting the Avatar's escape into the spirit world. They had even tried to make him open it, despite his protests that he did not have the power to do so. Only Jahn could unlock the portal. This was not an excuse that they liked. His tormentors had not even resorted to bending; physical blows had hurt just as much, however. Afterwards, they had thrown him in the cell and left him there. For the last two days, he had rested and listened intently for any sign of life. So far, nobody had even fed him; his captors only went as far as to waterbend some water in carefully just the once.

Still, he was alive.

He had not seen what he happened to Lin and the others. Indeed, he had no idea what happened to any of the people he cared about. Jinora had not contacted him at all, which made his stomach roll in worry. Even though she was all grown up, he still worried about his little girl. He knew Bumi and Kya were always resentful that their own father was never quite there for them as much as he was for Tenzin but he was determined to always be there for his kids. They deserved the love he received.

It was at the end of his second day that he heard the noise. A wailing claxon sounded through the city, loud and brash, ringing through the night. It was the city warning system. An enemy fleet was approaching from the ocean.

Tenzin could not see outside to find out what was going on but he was willing to bet his glider that the United Forces had arrived to liberate the city. Either that or one of the other nations had arrived to assist them. Obviously the Air Nation would be an unlikely choice but a great deal of them were now imprisoned in the city. Rescuing their fellow Airbenders may have been a cause worth rising for.

Tenzin shook his head as he thought. His stomach was painful at the lack of food but meditating helped considerably. "Clear your mind…" he murmured to himself.

It couldn't be the Airbenders. They would have flown in, not sailed. Maybe the Water Tribes had sent a force? Also unlikely. They were having a few political troubles lately; the Tribes would not send an army to help Republic City whilst they were so preoccupied.

The cell door flew open, making Tenzin open his eyes quickly and fall back as light flooded the cell. He waited until someone revealed themselves before he would react. Nobody entered the cell, however, prompting the older man to poke his head round the doorframe and into the corridor. It was dimly lit but his eyes had already adjusted to the gloom sufficiently in the last forty-eight hours. A person stood at the end of the corridor, barely visible. It turned, revealing a bright blue face with a wide grin and large tusk like teeth. A mask.

"It can't be. Who are you?" Tenzin asked weakly.

The person merely turned and ran, disappearing into an adjacent corridor. Tenzin was in no shape to follow so quickly but he pulled himself up and made his way down the hallway, cringing as his cramped legs screamed at the effort.

The smell of food distracted him. Wafting from the side, he pushed a door open to witness a lone man sat at a table about to dunk some bread into a steaming hot bowl of stew. They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before the man stood up quickly. Tenzin reacted smoothly; swiping his right hand across himself, the air under the man's legs quickly moved sideways, making him fall to the floor and hit his head on the chair. Tenzin edged into the room cautiously but the man was out cold.

"Sorry about that, but a man has to eat…" he mumbled to the unconscious man as he sat down at the table and pulled the bowl towards him.

* * *

><p>Leemi's tongue was wet, warm and gruesome. It slithered over her face one more, but this time she reacted.<p>

"Urgh! Leemi! Gross!" Aana said in disgust as she sat up quickly. Wiping her face clean of bison saliva, she stood up and shook herself.

Her sky bison seemed happy to see her. Leemi grumbled deeply and nudged her with her nose, making Aana laugh. Patting her head, Aana felt happy at being able to feel Leemi's fur under his fingers. She struggled to remember the events that had just occurred; something must have happened for her to be asleep on the floor! That never happened! Sleep was for beds, not floors.

The spirits were on the roof. Bad people had taken the city. She had been poorly, but now she felt better. Much better. That feeling of being drained had gone now. Aana smiled. She knew her mother would have something to do with it.

"She'll be back soon. And Dad. Don't worry Leemi, the spirits will protect us!" she said with a big smile. Before, she had been so scared. Now, she felt sure that everything would be ok.

Leemi rumbled a reply and moved towards the window. Aana stood with her, gazing out at the night silently. The city was mostly quiet and shrouded in darkness. The bad guys didn't like lights apparently.

A loud noise startled her nearly out of her skin. Jumping visibly, Aana looked around for the source of the claxon but it seemed to be coming from the sea. Faint lights flickered out on the open ocean but she couldn't make out exactly what they were. Ships maybe?

She didn't hear the spirit fly in through the other window but noticed it from the corner of her eye. The little flying boar looked up at her from the floor, so she knelt down to talk to it easier. The noise nearly drowned out her words but she managed to shout above it. "Hey little boar spirit! What's going on?"

It twitched its snout and flapped its wings. Flying up to her shoulder, it tried to shout in her ear but simply was not loud enough. Giving up altogether, it flew over to the window and indicated upwards. Fluttering out, it hovered as it clearly waited for her.

Aana bit her lip. She knew she wasn't meant to leave the Temple, especially with bad guys around. The spirits might not even be super nice either, so they might be there to tell her off. Or maybe…

She grabbed her glider from the wall and dived out of the window. As free as the air itself, she extended the glider as she fell and neatly evened out of the fall. Gliding along the island for a moment, she laughed as she felt the breeze in her hair. The claxon sound cut off rather suddenly, leaving the only sounds in the night skies that of her breath and the rush of the wind. She could spend all night flying around outside, but she had been summoned by the spirits. She could hardly refuse.

Shooting upwards, she deftly landed on the Temple roof. She had no fear of falling off, as the giant dragon spirit was wrapped around the upper portion of the Temple and was also resting on the roof. She landed before its huge snout, bowing as her feet touched the solid surface.

"Great Qi-Lóng. You asked for me?" she asked politely, with a faint smile.

The dragon spirit gazed on her with giant eyes. It was almost as perfectly sculpted as a real dragon, but the lack of any legs highlighted the difference. Instead, the six great wings along its back indicated its affinity with the element Air, along with the spiral pattern on its forehead. It blinked twice and lowered its head so that it was a mere foot away from Aana's own.

"Yes child," the dragon spirit said in a deep voice. "Events are unfolding at a rapid pace and history seems close to repeating itself. The spirits owe you their thanks for talking sense when nobody else would."

Aana smiled at the great spirit and shrugged. "Well, I just knew that the spirits shouldn't attack the city. You all seemed angry."

Qi-Lóng nodded. "We were. Our minds were clouded by a presence that made us anger at the human insolence. That presence has gone, as it has also gone from you, child. Nevertheless, the humans desecrate spirit lands. This cannot continue."

Aana shook her head. She knew that the bad guys probably didn't mean to be bad. Maybe they were just a bit confused. She said as much to the spirit, which grumbled in disagreement.

"The humans that have taken the city care not for us, despite their claims. They see us as tools to be used. The Red Lotus are not as they were."

Aana's eyes widened. "I know them. They tried to hurt Avatar Korra when my mum was a little girl."

Qi-Lóng craned its long neck around to stare out at the sea. The lights had grown even brighter and they were vast in numbers. "They will not last long in this city. The Avatar will reopen the portals and we can return to the spirit world. The mortal world is interesting but our home is damaged. Maybe with our help, it can recover."

Aana pondered that in silence. "Does that mean the spirits will all go?"

Qi-Lóng looked back at the girl. "For a time, maybe. You understand us better than most, child. You understand. Our home has need of us; the spirit world is ill. We shall heal it."

The young Airbender sighed. "I'll miss you all though. We can still visit through the portal!"

The dragon spirit nodded. "Indeed. Although the Avatar will need to ensure only decent humans will visit our world. Despite Harmonic Convergence, it seems the world still has need of the Avatar to be the bridge between our two worlds. For now. Until we learn to live in peace."

Aana nodded and placed a hand on the dragon spirit's side. It was rough, like leather, but warm to the touch. "How will we stop the bad guys without you all though?"

Qi-Lóng pointed towards the lights on the sea. "Help shall always be given to those that require it."

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that noise?"<p>

"The city's warning system! There's a fleet inbound! Not more Red Lotus, surely?"

"You think so Kai? We're totally screwed if you're right…"

"Hey, Auri. Hey! Look at me. We're going to be fine. It's probably the United Forces. They took their sweet time if it was…"

Auri shook her head. "Why would they take so long if they were here to save the city?"

Kai shrugged. "Dunno. Although, the Red Lotus were already in the city. There was no super long march like there was back when Kuvira attacked. They probably only just found out."

The pair were stood on a rooftop in the business district of the city. They had been making their way to the President's office to help liberate him from the Red Lotus when the claxons had been set off. The ships out on the sea were definitely getting closer all the time but it was currently impossible to tell who they were due to the nights embrace.

Kai pointed. "The President was in that building there when they struck. Zukoh was right; if the people have a leader to rally behind, they'll help overthrow the Red Lotus."

Auri nodded. "Even if they just each free a White Lotus, it'll help shift the balance."

Kai grinned. "Right. Let's get moving."

They both leapt from the building and soared towards one of the skyscrapers, which was one of the only ones showing no damage. As they approached one of the higher floors, Kai began to spin as he flew upwards. Blasting a focused gust or air from his feet as he approached a window, he grinned as the glass shattered, leaving him free to fall through safely. Auri quickly followed and they snuck across the room quietly, as though they hadn't just made a huge racket breaking in.

The building was silent. They emerged into a hallway and made their way down it, checking each room for any sign of people. One room revealed a young woman huddled in a corner, crying softly. When Auri approached, she noticed her airbender garb and pushed her away violently, shouting about hating benders. Obviously shaken, Auri had backed away and had ran to Kai.

There was nobody else on that floor, so they climbed the stairs to the one above. This one also proved to be futile and even Kai wondered how long it would take for them to find the President. The Red Lotus had all begun to move in response to the new ships out on the ocean and Zukoh had pointed out it would be a good time to move. If they were quick.

The next floor up yielded better results. They only had to check a number of rooms before they found one that clearly belonged to the president; it had the giant words 'Pres' and 'Ident' on both doors, separated by the gap in between. Both doors were open slightly, prompting the Airbenders to look at each other in worry. Kai cautiously edged into the room, which was in total darkness.

"Ah. Shit."

"What? What is it?" Auri asked in a slight panic. The night silence was starting to creep her out.

Kai emerged from the room. "Blood. On the floor. Still wet, otherwise I wouldn't have seen it. See?" he asked, holding up his foot.

Auri covered her eyes quickly. "No! Don't you dare!"

Kai pulled a face as he lowered his leg. "Looks like they got the President. We failed."

Auri sniffed, clearly upset at the poor outcome of the mission more so than the death of the President. In all honesty, he'd been even more unpopular than Raiko.

"Well we tried. Honestly, I doubt we'll find him, given the state of the room. Best thing we can do now is go to the Temple and find my daughter. I need to make sure she's ok and if we-" Kai said, already walking away from the room, before he heard a crackling noise coming from inside.

Turning, he paced back and peered back through the doors. Auri also stuck her head through, relieved that it was too dark to see any of the blood Kai had mentioned. "Is that…?" she asked, listening carefully.

"The radio. Yeah," Kai said, pulling the door open wide and walking back in. He shuffled around the desk before brushing a number of papers onto the floor and grabbing the radio speaker. Tuning it carefully, he listened as a voice became clear.

"tss…a mess….tsss….the pres…..tsss….repeat, a message…..for the President…"

Kai looked over at Auri in hesitation, who nodded and gave a thumbs-up. Pressing the speaker button, Kai leant down to the microphone. "This is Kai, of Air Temple Island speaking. President's Office. Who is this?"

"…Kai? Married to Jinora?"

"Yeah that's me. Who's this?"

"Where's the President, Kai?"

Kai frowned. "Not here. Again, who is this? If you don't answer then I'm assuming you're hostile and this little chat is over."

"….Look out at the ocean. That's me. And we're not hostile. At least, not to you or the city. This is Kazon, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Admiral of the Second Fire Navy Fleet and we're here to save your city and free my brother and my aunt. Anyone seen them around?"


	17. Fighting for Family

((The endgame has begun! Only a few chapters left of Book One now! Hope you all enjoyed the last few chapters, they were extremely fun to write! Thanks for all the views and reviews, it's a great motivation knowing you all enjoy reading!))

* * *

><p><span>Fighting for Family:<span>

It was always them. No matter what, his brother and aunt just constantly attracted trouble. He'd tried to convince Zukoh not to stay in Republic City but his brother hadn't listened. That stubbornness had always been a key trait in their family; Zukoh's namesake had been famous for it. Still, at least he was recovering after that dreadful incident with his wife.

Kazon hadn't approved of her. "She's crazy!" he'd exclaim to his brother, to which Zukoh would roll his eyes and walk off. Kazon was rather good at reading people but Zukoh had never really had the knack for it. Hence the incident.

His aunt wasn't much better. Ridiculously aggressive against everyone she met, Akirai just had one of those personalities that made the Fire Nation's reputation seem spot on. Although the years of being ignored by her mother must have had an impact; not all unhappy children turned out well. But that was ok. Akirai was just Akirai and Kazon actually quite liked the fact his aunt was one of the toughest people around. She was a good laugh, at any rate.

"Prince Kazon, we're within range of the city. Should we fire?" one of the crew asked him.

The Prince blinked and looked over his shoulder. "Not yet. We don't even know where to fire AT yet. It wouldn't be appropriate just shooting blindly into the city. We could cause more damage than we stop."

"Er…what should we do then?"

Kazon stroked his short black goatee as he thought. "All we can do right now is wait for the Airbenders to show. They'll be our intelligence on this mission."

"And if the Red Lotus attack us before the Airbenders arrive, Sir?"

Kazon winked at the crewman. "Well then soldier, you'll know where the enemy is if they're busy blasting the elements at us."

The man nodded and bowed. "Very true, my Prince. I'll let the crew know of the plan."

Kazon nodded back and gestured to the rest of the crew on the bridge. "Let the fleet know, we're dropping anchor here until further instructions. Nobody is to fire on the city without my command. Prepare the troops in case we need to deploy but no action. Got it?"

"Aye Sir!" the crew all replied in unison.

Kazon turned to look out of the window. "You better be safe…" he mumbled to Zukoh.

Wherever he was.

* * *

><p>The fresh air was a mercy on his face. The jail had been horribly stuffy and for once, Tenzin sympathised with the criminals of Republic City. Being locked in those cells would not be fun for anyone. Especially with Lin in charge. How she still had the energy to head all of the city's police at the age of seventy-four was beyond him, although Tenzin secretly knew that she gave most of the action-based crimes to Mako these days. The firebender was always keen to help out, as he was determined to keep his position as Deputy Chief.<p>

Lin was capable, he knew that. He wouldn't dare suggest it to her face, as she still had the strength to seriously show him otherwise. Even her mother had been more than capable at over the age of ninety. It wasn't a matter of capability, Tenzin knew. He knew Lin better than most people; he believed that her desire to settle down had finally tempered that stubbornness to pursue justice. Then again, her husband may have had something to do with it.

Thinking of Lin's husband made Tenzin's thoughts stray to his own wife. Pema was away with his grandson at one of the Air Temples and he missed her dearly. Especially after the last few days. Her smile would make it all worthwhile and he couldn't wait to hold her in his arms once more.

The courtyard was wide but thankfully it was also empty. Tenzin cautiously peered round a statue of Toph Beifong as he double-checked that there were no Red Lotus guards around. After a quick surveillance, he was sure that his escape would go unnoticed. Jumping into the air, Tenzin propelled himself up to the roof that stretched around the courtyard using Airbending and landed lightly. He looked up and braced himself to jump higher. Before he could do so, however, something to the side caught his eye.

His daughter Jinora was floating in the air, a huge smile on her face. Bright blue and transparent, her astral projection had finally located her father and she was clearly beyond happy at discovering his survival. "Hey Dad," she said quietly.

"Jinora. You're ok…" he whispered back. Relief flooded his body, making him feel twenty years younger.

She nodded. "Yeah. Just about. It's been…crazy. Are you ok?"

Tenzin shrugged slightly. "Ah, it'll take a little more than the Red Lotus to take your old Dad down. Where are you sweetheart?" he asked. He could feel tears welling in his eyes but he forced them to go away. The son of the Avatar didn't cry on rooftops.

"I'm in the Spirit World. It's a long story Dad, but basically Jahn locked the portal, we met a new friend, hunted down a bad spirit and stopped it from killing everyone. How's the city doing?"

Tenzin's eyes widened. Why did his children always have the craziest adventures when they went off on their own? Did he need to make sure they were always with him so they'd be safe?"

"The city? Oh. Yes, the city. It's not great here, Jinora. The Red Lotus have totally taken the city and I haven't seen anything of anyone else. You're the first I've heard from. I didn't even see Lin when she surrendered the Police Headquarters," said Tenzin ruefully.

"Is Aana ok? She should be safe now, as long as she's at the Temple."

Tenzin closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know sweetheart, but I'll try and find out."

Jinora looked towards the direction of the Island but her sight was blocked by the buildings. "Thank you. I'd look myself but we need to keep moving. We're on our way towards the portal and hopefully Jahn will reopen it. I don't know how long it will take though…"

Tenzin smiled and raised his hand as if to touch Jinora's face. "I'll see you soon sweetheart…"

"Bye Dad. Keep safe."

Jinora flickered and vanished, leaving Tenzin alone on the roof. He was quiet for a moment, before turning and jumping along the rooftop. If he could make it down to the front of the Headquarters, he could take a Satomobile and drive to the Temple. He'd need a change of robes too; his current ones were covered in dirt and torn considerably.

Descending gently, he looked around but the plaza was empty. A lone Satomobile was parked a few meters away and it was this vehicle that the Airbender targeted. Jumping into the driver's seat, he looked around but could not find the keys.

"Just perfect…" he grumbled to himself. He'd never learnt how to hotwire a Satomobile but he knew enough from what Kai had once accidentally told him. That man was such a troublemaker.

Sparks flew as he held the two wires together. Nothing happened, making Tenzin grit his teeth in impatience. Any moment now, the Red Lotus would come round a corner and find him escaping and that would be that.

Trying another colour wire, he held it away from him and pressed the ends together. Still nothing.

"Blast this thing! Bet my father didn't have to deal with all this technology rubbish…" Tenzin said with a sigh, rubbing his hand after he'd punched the dashboard in frustration.

A chunk of road flew over his head and crashed into the Headquarters. Looking up quickly, Tenzin noticed a truck that had just arrived on the other side of the plaza and Red Lotus members were piling out of it. One of them had already attacked and was running closer and closer.

"Come on!" Tenzin shouted at the Satomobile, desperately trying another wire. The engine spluttered and started and Tenzin quickly put the vehicle into reverse. It squealed backwards, away from the enemies, and he span it round, throwing it into drive as he did so. Pulling out of the spin, Tenzin pressed down on the pedal and the Satomobile shot forward.

He drove a few blocks before he noticed his pursuers. Two other Satomobiles were chasing him through the city and in each one, the passengers were firing fire and water at him from the front seats. Tenzin twisted the wheel quickly, dodging their attacks as he drove frantically through the city. It was quite empty, as everyone had retreated inside when the Red Lotus had taken over.

The Airbender steered right and the vehicle roared into a nearby alley. He crashed through bins and a flimsy wire fence before bursting out onto another street. As he steered to the left, he thrust back with his right hand. The bins in the alley all flew into the air with the strength of his Airbending, crashing into one of the pursuing vehicles. It squealed to a halt but the other was not behind it.

Tenzin focused on the road for the next few blocks until he was sure that his pursuers had been left behind. Turning the radio on, he hoped for an update on what was happening elsewhere in the city. He was met by total static and silence.

"The Temple will have information at least…" Tenzin muttered.

The Satomobile lurched forward as the water hit the rear bumper. The other Satomobile had caught up and the waterbender in the front seat had begun to fire ice shards at the wheels, hoping to burst one of them.

"No you don't…" Tenzin growled under his breath. On the next volley of ice shards, he let go of the wheel and pushed behind him with both hands. The powerful tunnel of air caught the ice in mid-flight and sent them flying back at the enemy Satomobile. They crashed into the dashboard and struck the driver on the forehead. He slumped over the wheel and the whole vehicle turned sideways quickly. It flipped over and continued to roll as Tenzin sped away down the street.

* * *

><p>Kai landed on the Fire Nation ship and folded his suit away as he waited for somebody to receive him. Behind him, Auri also landed softly, using a small cyclone of air to descend vertically. She wrinkled her face at the ship and her already comely face became even less attractive. It didn't detract from her bravery and willingness to help Kai, however, so he ignored the thought.<p>

A figure emerged from the bridge and made his way over, traditional red and gold robes flapping in the breeze. He had long black hair and a small goatee, with the classic golden eyes of the Fire Nation royal family. His likeness to the old Fire Lord Ozai was uncanny but this man had kindness in his eyes.

"Kai, is it? Nice to meet you at last. I've heard a lot about you all over the years. I'm Prince Kazon, here to help," he said with a smile, holding out his hand. Kai took it and they shook once, firmly.

"Likewise. This is Auri. She was with me at the Office. The President's been killed by the Red Lotus," Kai replied, gesturing towards the other airbender before running a hand through his hair in a stressful motion.

Kazon's left eyebrow raised. "The President's dead? We weren't here in time then. What of the other World Leaders?"

Kai shrugged. Auri stepped forward and scratched her bald head as she spoke. "We don't think they're in trouble yet. The Red Lotus are using the city as their base for when they strike into each nation."

Kazon sniffed. His eyes narrowed and he seemed to be under intense concentration. Freezing for a second, he did not move until he sneezed violently, blowing flames across the deck. "ACHOO!" he yelled.

Auri laughed. She had a beautiful, tinkling laugh that contrasted her appearance greatly.

"Sorry…" Kazon apologised, wiping his nose. "The Fire Nation isn't this cold. I'm not used to sea temperatures…"

Kai frowned. "You're the Admiral. How are you not used to them?"

It was Kazon's turn to shrug. "I was only promoted last year. My father, Fire Lord Iroh, thought it best I learnt some military training for when I take the throne. Seeing as my older brother joined the White Lotus instead."

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking," Auri inquired with a slight smile.

"Twenty-eight. My brother is only two years old than I am; my father did not have much time for families when he was in the United Forces, so we were born but didn't see much of him as babies," Kazon said, somewhat nonchalantly. "He made up for it after he left though. He's a great inspiration for us."

Auri smiled. "That's good! It's always nice to see parents as important as yours still making an effort," she said.

Kai sniffed. "Yeah yeah, that's enough of the introductions. We can grab some tea afterwards or something. You needed us?" he asked Kazon.

The Fire Prince nodded. "What's the situation? Where are our forces needed most?"

"Well the Red Lotus are quite spread out but pockets of resistance are keeping them busy. It's not enough though. We need to convince all the citizens of Republic City to help kick them out but to be honest, we need a figurehead for that," Kai conceded.

Kazon winked. "Bit generous! Fine, fine, I accept…"

Kai chuckled. "Yeah, that's a good one. I meant the Avatar. But he's in the Spirit World and the only way to get him back in time is through the portal."

The firebender stroked his goatee once more. "Hmm. So we need to clear the portal so that the Avatar isn't captured immediately when he comes back through?"

Kai nodded. "It'll be tough. There'll be plenty of the bad guys protecting it."

"Plus, it's right in the middle of the city. We'd have to storm through to even get there…" Auri said sadly.

Kazon smiled. "Have some faith there little lady. The Second Fire Navy Fleet is the strongest in the world and our soldiers are some of the strongest."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Avatar Aang found that out during the Hundred Year War…"

The smile vanished from Kazon's face. "I'd rather we not mention that," he said, his voice suddenly cold. The rapid change in character threw Kai off slightly, but he passed over it and pointed towards the city.

"We'll need to deploy by the docks and then you'll have to try and push straight into the city. We can't afford to really drag this out," the Airbender said.

Kazon nodded. "I agree," he said, his usual demeanour returning. "I'll contact the rest of the fleet and tell them to deploy at the docks. You need to be our scouts; fly over the city and try and work out where the Red Lotus are. If possible, we need to try and group them together, so I'll send a radio broadcast to the city telling them that the Avatar is returning soon. That should draw them towards the portal."

Kai looked at Auri, who nodded. "I…ok then," he said regretfully, looking over at Air Temple Island. "I'll be back soon honey…" he whispered.

The Airbenders detached their suits and sprang into the air, soaring off towards the city as Kazon watched on.

"I guess we're all fighting for family then. Huh," he said with a thoughtful smile. Turning, he signalled for the crew to press forward.

The Fire Nation fleet began to move in on the city as the Red Lotus massed their forces. The latest battle for Republic City's freedom had begun.


End file.
